PGN Sept. 23-29, 2011 edition by The Philadelphia Gay News

Chita Rivera reprises a lifetime of musical performances

Family Portrait: Chris Ramos

PAGE 23

And the nominees are ...

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Sept. 23-29, 2011

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Vol. 35 No. 38

House holds discrimination bill hearing

Redistricting to impact LGBTs By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com The Hawthorne section of South Philadelphia, a neighborhood densely populated with LGBT residents, will get a new City Council district under redistricting plans tentatively approved by council last week. Critics say the move will dilute the emerging LGBT voting bloc in the 1st District, which now covers Center City east of Broad, along with areas near the Delaware River. Hawthorne lies between Broad and 11th streets, from South Street to Washington Avenue. That area — just south of the Gayborhood — is in the 1st District, but would be added to the 2nd District under two similar bills pending in City Council. The 2nd District now covers Center City west of Broad and much of South Philadelphia. City Council could pass one or both measures as early as Sept. 22. The bill(s) would then go to Mayor Nutter for his consideration. If he vetoes both measures, City Council would need at least 12 votes to override the veto and enact a plan. Mark McDonald, a spokesperson for Nutter, had no comment PAGE 19

Mazzoni Center gets $80K from fed By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com LGBT health facility Mazzoni Center recently took the first step on the road to attaining a new federal designation that will enable it to expand its practice and services. Mazzoni was awarded an $80,000 Health Care Planning Grant from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration to support the planning process to pursue its bid to become a Federally Qualified Health Center. The FQHC status — which no LGBTfocused health facility in the region has — enables a health cenPAGE 19

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

FAREWELL PARTY: Former Congressman Patrick Murphy (center) meets and greets LGBT and ally Philadelphians Tuesday night at a celebration at Tabu to herald the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” About 200 turned out to toast the lifting of the 18-year-old ban on openly gay servicemembers and raise a glass to Murphy, who spearheaded the legislative effort to repeal the law. Congress approved Murphy’s measure in December, and Obama and military leaders signed off on the repeal this summer, with its final demise coming at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 20. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Coach arrested on sex-abuse charges By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com An Archdiocesan high-school baseball coach was arrested this week on charges stemming from two encounters with teenage boys. Police arrested Louis Spadaccini, 37, Sept. 20 and charged him with rape, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, endangering the welfare of a child, simLOUIS ple assault, indecent SPADACCINI assault and furnishing alcohol to a minor, for two separate incidents. After being released on bail, Spadaccini, the varsity and JV baseball coach at Neumann-Goretti High School in South Philadelphia, was again taken into custody

that night with charges from the second incident. The initial charges were filed after Spadaccini allegedly took a 14-year-old boy to a Holiday Inn in South Philadelphia Sunday and gave him beer and a mixed drink spiked with a Xanax. The boy was visibly intoxicated when Spadaccini dropped him off at home, and his parents took him to the hospital and contacted police. There was no evidence of sexual contact in that case. However, after those charges, a 13-yearold boy came forward and reported that, three separate times in July and August, Spadacinni sexually assaulted him at the same hotel and at Spadacinni’s home. Spadaccini, who works part-time at the high school and full-time at the Court of Common Pleas, has been put on administrative leave at both. Himself a Neumann grad, Spadaccini has coached the team for five years and led the effort to win two Catholic League championship, the school’s first in five decades. ■

The measure to ban discrimination against LGBT Pennsylvanians at the statewide level came before a panel of state legislators this week. The House Democratic Policy Committee heard testimony Sept. 19 from several supporters of House Bill 300. The long-stalled measure would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s Human Relations Act, extending discrimination protections in housing, employment and public accommodations to the LGBT community. The committee hosts public hearings across the state to examine the local impact of certain pieces of legislation and to build awareness and understanding of legislation, spearheaded by members of the House Democratic Caucus. More than a quarter of the committee’s nearly 80 members attended. HB 300 was resubmitted earlier this year by state Rep. Dan Frankel (D-23rd Dist.), PAGE 22 and it is currently in the

SOLEMN ANNIVERSARIES: Several hundred people turned out Sept. 15 for the opening reception of “1981-Until It’s Over,” an interactive display at the William Way LGBT Community Center tracing the history of HIV/AIDS. The exhibit, created by AIDS Fund, examines the epidemic’s 30-year scourge on Philadelphia and the nation. The display will be featured in the center’s lobby until Dec. 15. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

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MEAL THAT MATTERS: Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutritional Alliance director of volunteers Rob Saxon extends a welcome to the approximately 200 volunteers who served as the guests of honor at the agency’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Cookout Sept. 15. The meal was held at the Armory, with a complete barbecue dinner cooked in MANNA’s kitchens. Awards were presented to outstanding volunteers who help the organization meet its mission of providing nutritional meals to those facing life-threatening illnesses. Photo: Scott A. Drake NEWS

Local Media Trail News Briefing

5 14 15

Contents

EDITORIAL/OP-ED

Editorial 10 Op-Ed 10-11 Mark My Words 11 11 Street Talk

Did you nominate yourself for a “Best of Gay Philadelphia” award? Poll results from our online survey as of Sept. 21:

16% Absolutely! 8% No, but I had my friends do it. 32% No, I only nominated others. 44% I didn’t ﬁt in any of the categories Go to www.epgn.com to weigh in on this week’s question:

Which October event is the most important for our community? 505 S. Fourth St. Philadelphia, PA 19147-1506

For advertising inquiries; advertising@epgn.com or 215-625-8501 ext. 218.

Art Director/Photographer Scott A. Drake (ext. 210) scott@epgn.com

Phone: 215-625-8501 Fax: 215-925-6437 E-mail: pgn@epgn.com Web: www.epgn.com

Advertising Director Dan Calhoun (ext. 218) dan@epgn.com

Graphic Artist Sean Dorn (ext. 211) sean@epgn.com

Publisher

Advertising Manager Greg Dennis greg@epgn.com

Editor

Advertising Sales Representatives Amy Mather amy@epgn.com

Executive Assistant/ Billing Manager Carol Giunta (ext. 202) carol@epgn.com

Mark Segal (ext. 204) mark@epgn.co0m Sarah Blazucki (ext. 206) sarah@epgn.com Staff Writers Jen Colletta (ext. 215) jen@epgn.com Larry Nichols (ext. 213) larry@epgn.com Writer-at-Large Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208) timothy@epgn.com

Prab Sandhu prab@epgn.com National Advertising Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 Office Manager/ Classifieds Don Pignolet (ext. 200) don@epgn.com

Philadelphia Gay News is a member of: The Associated Press Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Suburban Newspaper Published by Masco Communications Inc. © 2011 Masco Communications Inc. ISSN-0742-5155 The views of PGN are expressed only in the unsigned “Editorial” column. Opinions expressed in bylined columns, stories and letters to the editor are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of PGN. The appearance of names or pictorial representations in PGN does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that named or pictured person or persons.

LOCAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

Police: Teen lesbians go on summer burglary spree By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

Chitwood said, estimating that the stolen goods were valued in the thousands. In addition to the odd assortment of stolen A teenage lesbian couple from Upper Darby goods, Chitwood noted the case is also pecuallegedly spent the summer burglarizing the liar in that the suspects did not use a getaway town, accumulating a bizarre cache of items car but carried all of their wares away on foot — including the 55-inch television. large and small. The burglaries all took place during the Britney Singleton and Harley Gifford, both 19, were arrested last week on 25 counts each day, with the culprits mostly climbing through open windows or walkingin through unlocked of theft, conspiracy and related charges. doors to gain access to the houses. Police say the couple allegedly “You obviously see females combroke into more than two-dozen mit crimes but to be this brazen is houses throughout Upper Darby unusual — the fact that these were this summer, lifting myriad items all broad-light burglaries and some— some of which they allegedly times in homes where there were sold on the street and at a local pawn people inside sleeping is not comshop and others that were stashed at mon,” Chitwood said. “That being their residence. said, just this past weekend we had Upper Darby Police two more young girls locked up for Superintendent Michael Chitwood burglary but that was just for one said that between mid-July and house; they weren’t as sophisticated last week, the teens allegedly hit and there weren’t as many houses as 25 houses in Upper Darby, as the first case.” well as four in Prospect Park and Chitwood said investigators Lansdowne. uncovered another peculiar piece The teens were caught after a of the story when interviewing the homeowner walked in on the burglary in progress and, although one SINGLETON suspects. Separately, Singleton and Gifford of the culprits struck the resident (TOP) AND in the head and knocked him to GIFFORD told police their crime spree would have had one more residence on the the ground, one of the perpetrators list, but they were scared off while climbing dropped her ID in the scuffle. Chitwood said the pair summarily admitted into one house by a lion. Chitwood said investigators interviewed the to all of the crimes when police arrived at their apartment Sept. 15, and have been cooperative owner of the identified house last week and found no evidence of a lion, pet or otherwise. with police since. “They both said they ran out when they saw The list of stolen goods was lengthy, Chitwood said, and the diversity of the items what they both described as a lion,” he said. “We got the location and Friday night we were was impressive. “It went from toiletries to a 55-inch flat- able to go inside but there was no lion. And there was no indication that there ever was a screen TV,” Chitwood said. The teens allegedly amassed $22,000 in lion.” Both teens were arrested earlier this year cash — including some foreign money — as well as jewelry, laptops and a 7-foot wolf skin, and charged with a series of theft and conspiras well as a large assortment of more unusual acy offenses in relation to a December inciitems including lotions, toilet paper, soap, dent; they pleaded guilty to one count of each condoms, achievement medals, baseball-card and Singleton was sentenced to five days in prison and probation, while Gifford was sencollections and games. “Anything they could carry out they took,” tenced to probation. ■

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TRIPLE CROWN: LGBT grantmaking agency Sapphire Fund distributed $18,000 in funding Sept. 14. This year’s beneficiaries, receiving $6,000 each, are Mazzoni Center, The Attic Youth Center and the William Way LGBT Community Center. On hand to accept the checks were Mazzoni Center’s director of development and marketing Perry Monastero (from left), executive director Nurit Shein and board president Dr. Michael Wolf, Sapphire Fund president Domenic Gallelli, Attic Youth member Ibrahim, director of development Alyssa Mutryn and member DeAngelo, and William Way’s director of development Michael Pomante, executive director Chris Bartlett and board president Jeff Sotland. Photo: Scott A. Drake

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

LOCAL PGN

We Are America . . . October is Gay History Month From the very beginning, the LGBT community was a part of the founding of our country — and were often welcomed in the effort. From Founding Fathers to Revolutionary War Heroes, from Civil War Heroes to the author of “America the Beautiful”

Look for new stories every week in October, in print and online.

NATIONAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

A historical timeline of DADT 1778 March 11: Lt. Gotthold Frederick Enslin is discharged from the Continental Army for sodomy, the first known American to be discharged from the military for homosexuality 1917 March 1: The Articles of War includes a stipulation that includes a court martial for servicemembers who commit “assault with intent to commit sodomy.” 1941 The United States Army Surgeon General’s Office issues a memorandum including “homosexual proclivities” as factors barring military service. 1942 During World War II, a “blue discharge” policy is put in place that allows gays, sexually active or not, to be separated from the military, replacing the former policy that prosecuted sexually active gay men. 1947 “Blue discharges” are replaced by a policy mandating an “undesirable discharge” for a man believed to be gay or bisexual and a “dishonorable discharge” for those found guilty of same-sex behavior. 1949 Oct. 11: The Department of Defense implements a policy that homosexuals cannot serve in any branch of the Armed Forces. 1950 May 31: President Harry Truman signs the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 125 of which prohibits sodomy. 1957 The United States Navy Board of Inquiry, led by Capt. S.H. Crittenden, issues a report finding “no sound basis” for the presumptions that gays in the military posed a “security risk”; however, it advocated gays not be included in the military because homosexuality was “wrong” and “evil.” 1960 Fannie Mae Clackum wins eight years of back pay from the U.S. Air Force in the U.S. Court of Claims after she was discharged for being a lesbian, marking the first time the military’s ban of LGBT servicemembers was successfully challenged, although the case centered on a due-process claim. 1975 Sept. 8: U.S. Air Force Sgt. Leonard Matlovich appears on the cover of Time, the first openly LGBT person to be featured on the cover of an American news magazine. He was discharged weeks later and, after suing the military the following year, settles for an honorable discharge. 1981 Jan. 16: The Department of Defense, under

President Ronald Reagan, issues a directive that “homosexuality is incompatible with military service” and servicemembers who acknowledge homosexuality or bisexuality, or engage in same-sex sexual activity, would be discharged. 1992 The Government Accounting Office reports 17,000 men and women were discharged as homosexuals in the 1980s. Of these, 51 percent were from the Navy and 20 percent were white women, both highly disproportionate for their representation. May: Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder introduces the Military Freedom Bill to lift the military ban on gay servicemembers; the bill does not see a vote. 1993 Jan. 29: Newly inaugurated President Bill Clinton announces plans for a new policy that would prevent the government from inquiring if a military member was gay, but would also prohibit the servicemember from disclosing his or her orientation. Nov. 30: Congress approves a defense measure with text included that upholds the 1981 ban on openly gay servicemembers. Dec. 21: Clinton signs Defense Directive 1332.14 into law, codifying his compromise. The full name of the policy is “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue.” “Don’t Harass” was added later. 1994 There are a total of 617 discharges based on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in its first year. March 8: Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union file the first legal challenge to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on behalf of six gay servicemembers; a district court ruled the policy to be unconstitutional but that ruling was later overturned on appeal. June: A federal district judge rules the 1992 discharge of lesbian National Guard member Margarethe Cammermeyer to be unconstitutional and she is reinstated in her post, where she serves until her retirement three years later. 1998 Five years after its implementation, the number of discharges rises to 1,163 this year. 2001 The number of annual “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”-related discharges hits an all-time high with 1,273 this year. 2004 Oct. 18: Log Cabin Republicans file suit challenging the constitutionality of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” 2005 March 2: Congressman Marty Meehan

introduces the Military Readiness Enhancement Act to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” with 122 cosponsors; the bill dies in committee. 2007 March 28: Meehan re-introduces the repeal bill with 149 cosponsors; the bill dies in committee. 2009 March 3: Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher introduces the Military Readiness Enhancement Act with 140 cosponsors. July 8: Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy takes over the repeal bill, growing the cosponsor list by more than two-dozen in his first weeks as prime sponsor. Aug. 5: Sen. Joe Lieberman introduces the repeal bill for the first time in the Senate with 33 cosponsors. 2010 March 18: Lt. Dan Choi and other LGBT activists are arrested after chaining themselves to the White House fence in protest of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Sept. 9: U.S. District J u d g e Vi r g i n i a Phillips rules “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is unconstitutional in the Log Cabin Republicans’ case,

but the ruling is later stayed. Dec. 15: The U.S. House of Representatives passes Murphy’s bill to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in a 250-175 vote. Dec. 18: The U.S. Senate passes the bill to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in a 65-31 vote.

Dec. 22: President Barack Obama signs the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal bill into law, but the measure stipulates a certification process before full repeal. 2011 July 22: President Obama and military leaders certify that the military is prepared for the lifting of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Sept. 20: At 12:01 a.m., “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is officially repealed. After 18 years in place, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was responsible for at least 14,346 discharges. — compiled by Jen Colletta

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

NATIONAL PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

NBC’s new diversity officer settles in By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com NBC Universal recently named Craig Robinson as its new chief diversity officer for the company. Robinson, who is openly gay, had previously served as president and general manager of Los Angeles station KNBC. He is active in groups such as Asian Pacific Americans at NBC Universal, Black Professional Alliance and Out at NBC Universal. Robinson is also a longtime supporter of the National Association of Black Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, as well as the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. Less than a month into his new position, Robinson talked to PGN about the scope of his job and what he hopes to accomplish. PGN: What made you the right person for this position at NBC? CR: I think there were a number of factors. They wanted someone who has worked in the company and understood the company and had operational experience. They wanted someone who could be effective. With issues of diversity, I’ve had 15 years with the company so I’ve had the operational experience. And I have

hope to accomplish as chief diversity officer? CR: This job is huge, as you know, and I’ve been in it a couple of weeks. There are two goals in regard to workplace diversity: not only maintaining what has been a very open and welcoming environment for diverse employees of all types at NBC, but even growing that. It’s the concept of being able to bring your entire authentic self to CRAIG ROBINSON work every day. To be PGN: Does your job only able to come and not feel deal with diversity behind the scenes at the need to in any way modify or suppress NBC or does it cover onscreen diversity who you are. To be able to come and put as well? all your energy into the job at hand and CR: It is across the board. It involves not be inclined to betray yourself. To workforce diversity but one of the tent build on a culture of acceptance and celebration for diversity. Secondly, to work poles of my job is programming. I work with Bob [Greenblatt, openly gay NBC closely with programming execs as well. It’s programming, it’s workplace diversity, entertainment chairman] and his team to make sure that what we are putting on air it’s procurement, meaning where we go are images that accurately reflect what the for sourcing and community investments. world looks like. I know many people think of it as only being a workplace position, but it absoPGN: What do you think NBC can do lutely relates to programming as well. to increase its appeal to the LGBT comPGN: What are some of the goals you munity? the personal experience of involvement with a number of community groups — African-American community groups as well as Asian-American community groups. So it was my operational experience as well as my personal experience. And I think there is no question that it was partly because I am a diverse person, not just by birth but also that I have lived openly and out my entire career.

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PGN: When something like the controversy surrounding NBC star Tracy Morgan and the antigay statements he made happens, is that a situation that you would be involved with handling? CR: When something like that happens, there’s a lot of people in the company who become involved in that across the board. So it would be something that I would absolutely be involved in, but I would not be handling it alone. I could assure you that when there are situations like that, I will be part of the team to discuss how it’s handled. ■

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CR: In terms of entertainment, what we’re going to see from Bob Greenblatt is about creating the best possible programming that is smart and contemporary. If they do a good job of that, it will pull in the LGBT community and the general market as well. So from a programming standpoint, it’s about having the smartest programming from the best producers. From a workplace standpoint, we need to be known in the community as the workplace of choice for LGBT employees, a place that not only recruits LGBT employees but works to create an environment where you are nurtured and appropriately promoted. We need to be an employer of choice for a lot of groups and the LGBT groups are certainly one of them.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

EDITORIAL PGN

Op-Ed Holding Space: An open call for support of women-centered spaces By the Elements Organization board

Editorial

Emotional news roller-coasters It seems that some weeks are more emotionally trying than others when it comes to covering the news in the LGBT community. This week, PGN is marking the end of the ban on openly gay servicemembers and reporting on the House hearing on HB 300, a statewide nondiscrimination bill. The bill isn’t likely to have much movement, as it is currently in the State Government committee, headed by Republican Daryl Metcalfe. (PGN placed a call to his office inquiring about scheduling, and had not received a return call by press time. We’ll let you know if we hear back.) Over the weekend, PGN learned about a lesbian couple who’d been arrested for burglaries in Upper Darby. Police allege the 19-year-olds stole everything from toilet paper to a 55-inch TV — without a car. The two are cooperating and have admitted their guilt, saying they stopped after they entered a house that contained a lion. Police haven’t been able to locate the lion. Then there is the story about Louis Spadaccini, a baseball coach at Neumann-Goretti High School in South Philadelphia and Court of Common Pleas employee, who was arrested on charges of corruption of a minor, sexual contact and rape, involving two teenage boys. Allegedly, Spadaccini took a 14-year-old boy to a hotel room on Sunday, giving him alcohol and prescription drugs. He returned the boy home several hours later, where the boy’s parents saw he was intoxicated and took him to the hospital; no sexual contact is alleged. Police arrested Spadaccini Tuesday and released him after he posted bail. He was arrested a second time Tuesday after a 13-year-old came forward with allegations of sexual assault over the summer. Spadaccini was an “admired” coach and had led the Neumann-Goretti baseball team to win the Catholic League championship earlier this year, his second for the school. The Philadelphia Catholic League had named him Coach of the Year in 2008. Spadaccini is also an assistant to Common Please Judge Harold Kane at the Criminal Justice Center. The archdiocese has placed Spadaccini on administrative leave. Also this week, a Buffalo, N.Y., gay teen committed suicide. Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14-year-old high-school freshman, was found dead on Monday morning. Rodemeyer had told others about school and cyber-bullying; his family and friends thought he was stronger and handling it better. Rodemeyer’s death follows three others from that area in early 2010, including a 17-year-old who attended the same high school. In a tragic irony, Rodemeyer posted a video to the “It Gets Better” website in May, when he came out. Unfortunately for Rodemeyer, it didn’t get better. ■

Recently, Elements Organization coexecutive director Shayna S. Israel, secretary Kim Watson and a group of friends headed to New York for an end-of-summer road trip. The group planned to head to the Village — New York City’s LGBTQ mecca — and bar crawl through what they expected to be a plethora of lesbian clubs. “This was the famed ‘Village,’ said Watson. “My friends and I were looking forward to dancing and meeting all the beautiful queer womyn that the Big Apple had to offer. We were expecting to do it on their turf.” The adventurous group made its first stop at Cubby Hole on West 12th Street. The name was not misleading. The bar took up most of the venue. This is no hyperbole: The venue was only as wide as the bar itself. Members of the group, feeling somewhat less adventurous, mumbled, “Is this it? ... I thought there was a least a dance floor ... Wow, this is tiny!” Watson, Israel and friends soon discovered, after commiserating with others in the bar, that there was another queer womyn’s bar a few blocks down on Hudson Street. However, the other bar, Henrietta on the Hudson, was the only alternate option. Also gleaned from the comments of others, there seemed to be a general feeling — perhaps an “understanding” — that there were only two options because queer womyn, specifically queer womyn of color, did not patronize community bars and clubs. Unfortunately, this was not the first time Watson and Israel had encountered this. According to Israel, “The Annual LGBTQ Womyn of Color Conference began from a summer of attending various parties with a rotating group of 15-20 queer womyn of color. We would meet for Sunday brunch, sober, but often sobbing from deep pains of isolation. What we cultivated was a firm determination to obtain connection with other self-identified queer womyn of color in healthy and expanded spaces of engagement. There was so much hurt at the table. There were expressions of grief, longings for models for healthy romantic and familial relationships, body image issues, health concerns, feelings of injustice ... ” What Israel and these other womyn felt was that all of these issues would not be able to be covered in the club or at a meal the next morning. There was a need to encounter each other in more diverse and meaningful ways. Thus, the same group of 15-20 launched the first-ever LGBTQ Womyn of Color Conference in Philadelphia. In order to create a space of unity for practitioners, academics, artists, organizations and community members, “we started to mobilize our community,” said Adrienne Williams,

Elements Organization co-executive director. “Every other Sunday, we met at the Tree House living room in West Philadelphia with flip charts, markers, laptops, books, cell phones and, occasionally, beer. We knew this conference had to be birthed out of the things we wished to see in our futures: joy, diligence, health, wellness, love ... ” In 2009, over 150 womyn, ages 16-65plus, from across the country gathered in Philadelphia for the first conference. The umbrella theme for that year, “Breathing Fire: Channeling the Power Within,” was to capture the igniting force that brought the conference to life. That force was the firm belief that an organized body of womyn of color could take charge in ensuring the welfare of their community, leverage their resources and power a movement. Three years later, Elements Organization, host of the third annual LGBTQ Womyn of Color Conference “Fertile Ground: Womyn Revealed, Revived, Renewed,” is still looking to develop and foster community. Since the first conference, there have been a variety of organizations doing amazing work. Elements has teamed up with Sisters United (COLOURS-sponsored support group for transwomyn), Stimulus Productions, Philly A List, More Than Just Friends (support group for former addicts), Women United, Mary Douglass, Maroon Eyes, SILK, African-American Lesbian Meet-up Group, Hotpot (organization of Queer Asian and Pacific Islander women, trans, gender-variant and gender queer/nonconforming-identified folks), and the list continues. “We know that advances are being made; however, an encounter like the New York City trip, and knowing that very few queer womyn-owned spaces exist in Philadelphia, lets us know that our conference is still needed,” said Watson. “This year’s conference is about more than saying, ‘Hey, we have no clubs.’ It’s about saying, ‘Hey, respect the work that we’re doing to build community. Respect our needs. Respect and hold our space.’” “Fertile Ground” conference, Oct. 7-9, features international lecturer and poet Sonia Sanchez as keynote speaker. Additional highlights include art and education panels and lifestyle workshops offered in addition to the annual themes of relationships, sexuality and sexual practices, gender expression, social justice, spirituality and wellness. The conference is co-sponsored by Women’s and LGBT Studies at Temple University and will be held in its Student Center, 1755 N. 13th St. For more information on the conference, to register or to volunteer, visit ourelements.org or follow @elementsorg on Twitter. ■

OP-ED PGN

182nd: The race to watch The next few months should see a politi- that is overwhelmingly LGBT, but not cal maturing of our community. After all, the majority, with the remainder of voters being LGBT allies. Will they elect we have an interesting choice that few communities have had to face. First, let me — and winning the Democratic primary in this district is tantamount to being elected be clear before I put down the facts in this — someone with a firm LGBT issue. As the saying goes, I do activism background over the not, at present, have a horse in current representative, who is this race. Like many of you, it arguably the standard bearer of is my intention to examine the gay rights in the state House and facts and listen very carefully to the discussion in our comhas been since she arrived in munity in order to form an edu1985, when it was not a popular cated decision. position to take? A couple of weeks ago, Brian Add thanks to her seniorSims announced in this paper ity, she now is in leadership as the Democratic chair of the that he would challenge longtime state Rep. Babette Josephs State Government Committee. for the seat she has held in the Can Philadelphia lose another 182nd District since 1985 — elected official in leadership? some 26 years. The flip side is, when is it The House of Representatives time for a progressive lawmaker Mark Segal to make way for a new generaalong with our state Senate are tion with similar positions? Or the bodies that pass legislation and, if signed by the governor, become law. to be on target, a seat that can be easily won by a member of the LGBT community The 182nd District is considered one of the most liberal in the state. In the last pricould become the first out member of the state House. mary for the seat, Josephs was challenged So here’s the discussion in a nutshell. Do by Gregg Kravitz. That became a national we not back the woman who has supported story when Josephs challenged Kravitz’s this community for 26 years in order to assertion that he was bisexual, claiming he was pretending to be bisexual to win votes. elect the first openly gay member of the state House? As the national LGBT advocacy organization Victory Fund stated to the Associated Let the discussion begin. ■ Press at the time, this could openly happen in three districts in the entire country: San Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the Francisco, Dupont Circle in Washington, nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media. He can be reached at D.C., and Philadelphia’s 182nd. mark@epgn.com. So here’s the issue. This is a district

Mark My Words

Op-Ed On the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Valerie B. Jarrett Senior advisor to President Obama As of Sept. 20, the discriminatory law known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ceases to exist. No longer will patriotic gay and lesbian Americans need to hide who they are in order to serve the country they love. While this is an important step in our ongoing effort to form a more perfect union, it is also, in some ways, an unremarkable step. Gays and lesbians have served in our armed services from the time of the American Revolution. But they have served in silence; worse still, some have been forced out for nothing more than their sexual orientation. We know that, to use an old adage, you don’t need to be straight to shoot straight. While there will never be a full accounting of the patriotism demonstrated by gay and lesbian Americans in service to their nation, we know that they have served, with honor and valor. When President Obama signed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t’ Tell” Repeal Act into law, he told a story about an act of heroism during the Battle of the Bulge.

A regiment in the 80th Division of Patton’s Third Army came under fire. During the combat, a private named Lloyd Corwin fell into a ravine. He could have died there. But one friend, a soldier named Andy Lee, came back and scaled down the icy slope, risking his own life to bring Corwin to safety. Lloyd always credited his friend with saving his life. Four decades after the war, the two friends reunited, and it was only then that Lloyd learned that Andy was gay. Lloyd hadn’t known, and more importantly, he didn’t care. Andy’s sexual orientation had no impact on his valor and sacrifice. That’s a refrain we heard time and time again in preparing to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” — that our military is ready for the open service of our gay and lesbian servicemembers. That, simply put, sexual orientation is not a factor. Now that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is gone, gay and lesbian servicemembers will continue to serve, albeit with one important difference: They can be open about who they are. This change will only serve to strengthen our military. As many of our nation’s top mili-

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

Street Talk Will there be fallout due to the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”? “Progress is always controversial. We’ll be hearing a lot from the right wing about the decline of family values. They’ll Craig Carty bemoan it on HIV researcher talk radio. For East London, South the most part, Africa people will take it in stride — just like they do with any social change.”

“The Republicans will try to use it as an issue in 2012. They’ll use it as an example of something Krystin Enos that’s going student wrong in Washington Square our country. West They’ll say Obama doesn’t have his priorities in order.”

“I don’t see anything terrible happening. President Obama has made it clear that the LGBT community should be Harrison Finberg respected. If student the military Washington Square brass ensures West that people fall in line, there will be minimal disruption. There may be an increase of protests at military funerals. But I think that will die down in a year.”

“More gays will come out in the military. But they’ll come out to their peers, not the top brass, which tends Gabriel Rhodes to be older documentary and more filmmaker conservative. Brooklyn I definitely think there will be some tensions and fights in the military. Some might try to keep gays out of their platoon.”

tary officials have stated, unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness will not be harmed or undermined. Indeed, because patriotic Americans who happen to be gay or lesbian will no longer have to conceal who they are, our military, and our nation, will be better off. We would not be here today were it not for the leadership of President Obama, current and former members of Congress, ordinary Americans and those who wear or have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Services. On behalf of the president, I also want to thank the leadership at the Department of Defense. From conducting a comprehensive review of the issues associated with repeal, to offering a support plan for implementation, to training our forces to make them ready for this change, to rewriting masses of regulations to comply with the new law, the Pentagon has taken all necessary steps with full speed and proficiency. As with any change, there will be apprehension from some. But I am certain that we will look back and wonder why it was

ever a source of controversy in the first place. The president has every confidence in the professionalism and patriotism of our servicemembers. Just as they have adapted and grown stronger with other changes, we know they will do so again. There is no doubt that our servicemembers will continue to serve with integrity and honor, and approach each task and mission with the professionalism that we expect of them. Be they soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen or coast guardsmen, they remain members of the finest military in the world. It is that military that has fought to preserve the freedoms that define America. And now, with the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” we have furthered those American principles of fairness and equality. ■ Valerie B. Jarrett is a senior advisor to President Barack Obama. She is also the chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls and oversees the Offices of Public Engagement, Intergovernmental Affairs and Urban Affairs.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

PGN

Philadelphia’s LGBT community has risen up and spoken! A few weeks ago we asked you, dear valued cherished reader, to offer up who you thought were the best and the brightest individuals and establishments in all things LGBT in and around the city. And our clarion call was answered with a flood — nay, a tsunami — of responses, which we had to sift through in Dickensian sweatshop-like fashion. So we present to you the top five-ish in each category in no particular order. Winners and grand champions will be announced next week. Please try not to wet your knickers in anticipation ...

Community

LGBT Event OutFest Equality Forum Philly PRIDE Philadelphia Trans Health Conference Pink Pub Crawl LGBT Fundraiser TOY DVLF Indigo Ball Gay Bingo Dining Out for Life Mr. Philly Drag King Competition House of Worship The Church of St. Luke and the Epiphany Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia Broad Street Ministries Beth Ahavah LGBT Blog/Website Philadelphia Gay Calendar Nightlifegay.com Josh Can’t Cook G Philly It Gets Better LGBT Nonprofit Mazzoni Center William Way LGBT Community Center Philadelphia FIGHT The Attic Youth Center Philadelphia Family Pride Delaware Valley Legacy Fund LGBT Networking Event Our Night Out Queers on the Avenue Greater Philadelphia Professional Network Independence Business Alliance

LGBT Sports League City of Brother Love Softball Greater Philadelphia Flag Football Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association Fins Falcons

Arts & Entertainment Local DJ Robert Drake Jimmy DePre Carl Michaels DJ Deejay DJ Kash Evil V

Drag King Rasta Boi Roy Anderson Puppet Liberty City Kings Drag Queen Brittany Lynn Diana Dahling Salotta Tea Goddess Isis Navaya Shay Festival OutFest Philly Pride Q Fest Equality Forum Midtown Village Fall Festival

Steph Hayes Party Promoter Robert Drake Bruce Yelk Amber Hikes Tracy Buchholz Chris Wright Singer Aiden James Chad D Dena Underwood Theater Group Mauckingbird Theatre Company Quince Productions Plays and Players Theater

Restaurants Breakfast IHOP Sabrina’s Green Eggs Café Marathon Grill Parc Brunch Knock Sabrina’s Valanni ICandy Woody’s Dessert More Than Just Ice Cream Capogiro Valanni Brown Betty Barbuzzo

Live Music Venue World Cafe Live TLA Electric Factory The Trocadero Chris’ Jazz Café

Dinner Knock Valanni Terra at Tavern on Camac Mercato Zahav

Musician Aiden James Dena Underwood

Lunch El Vez

PGN

Jose Garces Trading Company Knock Westbury Marathon Grill

Craft Beer Bar Westbury Woody’s Victory Monk’s

Outdoor Patio ICandy Knock Rouge Raw Continental

Dance Floor Voyeur Tavern on Camac ICandy Woody’s

Overall Restaurant Knock Valanni Barbuzzo Terra at Tavern on Camac More Than Just Ice Cream

Nightlife Bar Food Wesbury Tabu Knock Venture Inn Valanni Bar/Nightclub Outside Philly The Raven Prohibition Paradise Beagle Tavern Mur Mur Place to Meet Women Sisters Stimulus Stir The Scene Arouse Place to Meet Men Woody’s Tavern on Camac Knock Bike Stop Sansom Street Gym

Drag Show Bob and Barbara’s Vixens and Vagabonds Liberty City Kings ICandy Tabu Gay/Gay-Friendly Bar Woody’s Tavern on Camac Tabu The Bike Stop Knock Happy Hour Knock Tabu Valanni Tavern on Camac Woody’s Stir Karaoke Tavern on Camac Sisters Voyeur Knock Tabu Yakitori Boy Lesbian/Lesbian -Friendly Bar Sisters Stir Tabu Mixto ICandy

Casino The Borgata Sugar House Resorts Parx Harrah’s

Martini Dirty Martini at Knock Chocolate Martini at Valanni Gin & Chronic at The Bike Stop Beagle Martini at Beagle Tavern Pussy Galore at Stir

Cozy Bar Uncle’s Stir Venture Inn The Bike Stop Knock Tabu

Mixed Drink Long Island Iced Tea at Knock Mojito at El Vez Margarita at Uncles Cape Cod at Beagle Tavern

Neighborhood Bar Uncles Knock Westbury Tavern on Camac Tabu Overall Bar Knock Tavern on Camac Woody’s Tabu ICandy Sisters The Bike Stop Place to go after Pride Woody’s Tavern on Camac Triumphant Pride Voyeur The Bike Stop Place to Grab a Beer Woody’s Westbury Tabu The Bike Stop Knock Sports Bar Tabu Westbury The Bike Stop Woody’s O’Neals Theme Night Jock Strap Night at The Bike Stop Stimulus Showtune Sunday Sex Dwarf Mardi Gras Pink Pub Crawl

People Activist Christopher Bartlett The Rev. Jeffrey Jordan Brian Sims Ted Martin Fran Price Bartender Kenny at Tabu Kyle at Tavern on Camac Danny at Knock Austin at Woody’s Ed at Westbury Personal Trainer Jim Hart at 12th Street Gym

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

Ken Williams Bill Bell at Journey Fitness Noe Espinoza Tim Murdaugh at 12th Street Gym Server Liz at Dmitri’s Danny at Knock Briana at Valanni Keith at Westbury Domenic at Knock

Places

Adult Store Danny’s La Chateau Exotique Passional/ Sexploratorium Pleasure Chest Giovanni’s Room Bicycle Shop Bicycle Therapy Via Bike Bicycle Revolutions Firehouse Bicycles Camping The Woods Hillside Campground Rehoboth Beach Sister Space The Poconos

To b e n e f i t a m f A R , T h e F o u n d a t i o n f o r A I D S R e s e a r c h

Clothing Store Metro Men’s Matthew Izzo Macy’s Passional H&M Furniture Bo Concept IKEA Hello World Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Luxe Home Gym 12th Street Gym Sweat The Sporting Club at Bellevue Optimal Fitness Fusion Hair Salon Salon K Charlie Salon Chop Shop

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

PGN

Media Trail Mich. school won’t have homecoming king, queen Muskegon’s WZZM13 reports a West Michigan high school that attracted criticism last year for disqualifying votes for a transgender student as homecoming king won’t have a king or queen this year. Seniors at Mona Shores High School instead will vote on two finalists among eight chosen as class representatives. Last year, the school tossed out ballots voting Oak Reed as homecoming king. Reed identified himself as a young man. But school officials said rules informed students they were to vote for a boy as king, and Reed was enrolled as a female.

Foo Fighters perform for Westboro protesters Advocate.com reports rock band Foo Fighters warmed up for a Sept. 16 concert in Kansas City, Mo., by performing on a rolling rig dressed as redneck truckers for

Crowne-PHILAGAYNEWS-due8-26_typeOutlines.indd 1

Westboro Baptist Church picketers. The antigay church was picketing before a concert of the band, which recently released a homoerotic video for its song “Keep It Clean (Hot Buns).” During a break in the song, bandleader Dave Grohl said, “God bless America! It takes all kinds. I don’t care if you’re black or white or purple or green, whether you’re Pennsylvanian or Transylvanian, Lady Gaga or Lady Antebellum ... But what I’d like to say is, God bless America, y’all!”

Students want gay dorm floor The Sioux City Journal reports gay and lesbian students at the University of Iowa are seeking their own floor in a residence hall on the Iowa City campus. Quentin Hill, of the GLBT Allied Union, is working with the university to open the floor for the 2012 school year. Hill, a freshman from Eagle Grove, says the group asked University Housing and Dining to offer the option on housing applications ahead of the current year, but only 10 students signed up. Iowa has more than a dozen dormitory floors designated as “communities” that focus on specific areas of study. University spokesperson Kate Fitzgerald said an LGBT floor would be such a community. ■ — compiled by Larry Nichols

8/22/11 11:19 PM

PGN

News Briefing Springfield approves LGBT bill Springfield, in Montgomery County, became the 22nd municipality in the state last week to adopt an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance. In a 4-2 vote Sept. 14, the Springfield Township Board of Commissioners approved a measure that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, among other classes, in housing, public accommodations, employment and commercial property. The bill also creates a local-level human-relations commission to investigate discrimination complaints. Residents were given the opportunity to voice their opinions on the bill prior to the vote, and the audience was largely supportive of the measure.

Film, discussion on gender identity A new lecture series at the University of Pennsylvania will feature a film screening and panel discussion on the intersection of gender-identity issues in the medical field, 7-9 p.m. Sept. 27 at Penn’s Fisher Bennett Hall, Room 401, 34th and Walnut streets. Re: Thinking Queer will present Annalise Ophelian’s documentary “Diagnosing Difference,” which explores the personal impact of the inclusion of Gender Identity Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. After the film, a panel discussion will be led by Lance Wahlert, a fellow at the Penn Center for Bioethics and co-director of the center’s Project on Sexuality and Gender Identity, co-founder and former director of the Philadelphia Trans-Health Information Project, and Mazzoni Center communityhealth educator Qui Alexander. For more information, visit www.rethinkingqueer.tumblr.com or search for Re: Thinking Queer on Facebook.

Donor challenge for IndiGoGo A generous donor has stepped up for a fundraising challenge for the William Way LGBT Community Center’s inaugural IndiGoGo party next month.

PGN

For every ticket purchased by 6 p.m. Sept. 28, the anonymous donor will give an additional $5 to the center. Advanced tickets are $15, or a $35 membership will receive two free tickets (and a $10 donation from the anonymous donor). The party, held from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Oct. 1 at the Trocadero Theatre, will follow the center’s annual fundraising gala Indigo Ball. Tickets will be available at the door for $20. For more information or to order tickets in advance, visit www.waygay.org or call 215-732-2220.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

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Plan your finances The City of Philadelphia will host a Financial Planning Day from 10:30 a.m.3:30 p.m. Oct. 1 at Ben Franklin High School, 550 N. Broad St. The event is organized by the city and the Tri-State Chapter of the Financial Planning Association, whose Financial Planning Day initiative, conceived of by several national nonprofit organizations, offers free financial advice and resources to people across the nation. Representatives of Financial Planning Association and Certified Financial Planner will work one-on-one to guide guests through such topics as retirement planning, investment, estate planning and getting out of debt. Workshop-style presentations will also be given on everything from college funding to Social Security planning. Participants are encouraged to register in advance at www.financialplanningdays. org/philadelphia or by calling 877-8617826, but walk-ins are welcome.

Fall into fall in the Gayborhood The city’s largest Oktoberfest celebration will kick off in and around the Gayborhood next weekend. The Midtown Village Fall Festival will be held from noon-8 p.m. Oct. 1 in Center City, with the center of the festivities at 13th and Walnut streets. Festivalgoers can enjoy barbecued food, seasonal treats, craft beers at beer gardens, live music, kids’ games and activities like apple-bobbing, sumo-wrestling, pig-roasting and human bowling. The event will also feature the unveiling of the “I Love Philadelphia” cookie, the Midtown Pooch Parade and a pumpkin patch. For more information, visit www.midtownvillage.org. ■ — Jen Colletta

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

Wedding

Gloria Casarez and Tricia Dressel By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The 100 guests who gathered last month for Gloria Casarez and Tricia Dressel’s 10th anniversary party were treated to a few big surprises — including the announcement that the couple had eloped in New York City a few weeks earlier. Casarez and Dressel married in the Big Apple on Aug. 12, revealing their nuptials to friends and family members at a Sept. 3 party in Philadelphia. While the marriage took place under wraps, the couple surprised their guests with a commitment ceremony at the party, officiated by Mayor Nutter — the first such ceremony the mayor has ever led. Casarez, the city’s director of LGBT affairs, and Dressel, director of human resources and organizational effectiveness at Solutions for Progress, met a decade ago at Washington West Project through their jobs — Dressel was at Mazzoni Center and Casarez was then serving as the executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative. In the past 10 years, Dressel said she and her new wife have stayed strong by concentrating on the foundation of their relationship — love. “It’s the mutual respect we have for each other and just remembering that, while our lives can be chaotic with work, things going on and personal crises, we love each other,” she said. “We always try to just remember what’s important, which is the people you

care about, the people you love, and she’s the one I love and the one I share my life with, so at the end of the day, that’s what matters.” When New York legalized same-sex marriage this summer, the couple decided taking the plunge was the next step in their relationship, but Casarez said she didn’t initially grasp how much the wedding would impact her. “When we purchased our home together, we thought this is a new level, we’re committing to this 30-year mortgage together. And in 10 years, we’ve navigated a lot of hard stuff together so when we decided to get married, I was thinking it was this action, this thing we did, but it’s more than that,” she said. “We had been joking originally, ‘Let’s get gay married,’ but this isn’t ‘gay marriage,’ this is marriage. This is significant.” Attaining a marriage license in New York was also especially significant for the couple, as Dressel hails from, and her family still lives in, Buffalo — so she holds the same marriage certificate as her parents, which she said was a poignant realization. The couple’s anniversary party was already planned when New York legalized marriage equality, so they decided the timing was right to keep their nuptials private — and simple — at first and incorporate their loved ones at the party. On Aug. 5, they took half-days and headed to Brooklyn to get a marriage license and, one week later, returned to Manhattan with a witness, who served as their photogra-

pher. They took the subway to the clerk’s office and waited their turn — among a long line of same-sex couples — to be legally wed. Afterward, they got crepes, visited their favorite spots in the city and had dinner and drinks before returning to Philadelphia. “It’s funny because it’s such a huge city but it was a very intimate, private moment that we shared just the two of us,” Dressel said. They both told their parents their news the day before the anniversary party and unveiled their announcement to the rest of their family and friends during the party, at the Fleisher Art Memorial, through a video presentation of their wedding. While the wedding vows were taken in private, the couple also wanted to share their love in a public way and, a few weeks before the party, Casarez asked Nutter to officiate, a request she said he “graciously” accepted. Nutter said in his remarks that he’s performed nearly 50 weddings but Casarez’s and Dressel’s ceremony was his first samesex commitment ceremony, which was news to Casarez. “That was a real surprise to me, but that made it even extra special,” she said. “The commitment ceremony really brought the tears and I think people felt our love, and we felt all the love coming from them as well.” The private and public moments of their wedding and commitment ceremony fused to make a memorable — and lasting —

MAYOR NUTTER OFFICIATES HIS FIRST COMMITMENT CEREMONY FOR GLORIA CASAREZ AND TRICIA DRESSEL

impression on the couple. “It’s difficult to separate the marriage from the public affirmation with our family, friends and community members, but they were both huge things that happened to us and I do feel different now,” Dressel said. “I didn’t really put much weight into marriage before but seeing the response — from our family and friends and coworkers — just reminds me how significant this is. This was a big, significant life event for us.” Casarez agreed that the impact of becoming a married woman took her by surprise. “Initially, we decided we wanted the party to just focus on our anniversary and what we have, this decade we have together, not on what we did with getting married. But what we did really has a lot of meaning and says a lot about who we are and what we have.” ■

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PGN REDISTRICT from page 1

on the Hawthorne matter. But a neighborhood leader was outspoken in his opposition. “The plans are totally unacceptable,” said Raed Nasser, vice president of the Hawthorne Empowerment Coalition, a civic association representing Hawthorne’s 3,400 residents. Nasser said Hawthorne has forged numerous relationships with civic organizations in the 1st District — relationships which he said would be “disrupted” by the plans. He also said the neighborhood has seen a “dramatic increase” in LGBT residents recently. “We don’t want to be in a different council district, separated from the support we have on the east side of Broad Street,” Nasser said. He said the organization is considering ways to fight the plan. Redistricting is taking place throughout Philadelphia, as district boundaries must be revised every 10 years — after census data is released — to account for population shifts. MAZZONI from page 1

ter to better meet the needs of its clients, explained Mazzoni Center executive director Nurit Shein. “This status allows an organization to receive funds from the federal government that go toward specialty care for the uninsured, toward payments for practitioners and for infrastructure for the organization,” Shein said. “So should Mazzoni receive the FQHC designation, we would have the ability to expand our practice and provide better care for those 30-40 percent of LGBT uninsured people that we serve.”

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

In the past decade, many residents and businesses moved away from the western part of the city, thus necessitating western districts to gain more residents from other parts of the city. Philadelphia has 10 council districts, and each must cover about 152,000 people. It also has five at-large council members who represent the entire city. Nasser said Broad Street is a long-established dividing line between the 1st and 2nd districts, and shouldn’t be breached to accomplish redistricting. He said representatives of the coalition didn’t testify at recent City Council hearings on redistricting because they weren’t aware of the changes in store for Hawthorne, but intend to testify at a council hearing on Sept. 22. Frederic Murphy, a Temple University professor who testified, said putting Hawthorne in the 2nd District would dilute the emerging LGBT electorate in the 1st District. “Separating out Hawthorne is a clear act of dividing neighborhoods to gain political power,” Murphy told PGN. “The LGBT community in Hawthorne becomes collat-

eral damage in the power plays of redistricting.” Another LGBT-related redistricting dispute involves the 8th Ward, which City Council refuses to place in one council district. Instead, the ward straddles two districts. About 34,000 people live in the ward, which covers Center City west of Broad Street to the Schuylkill River, from Spring Garden to Lombard streets. Republican and Democratic committee people have urged City Council to place the ward in one district, without taking a position on what district that should be. “Being in one district would eliminate a lot of red tape and bureaucracy in the political process,” said Gregg A. Kravitz, an openly bisexual 8th Ward committeeperson. “The system is broken when you have a ward split into two council districts.” On neighborhood issues, Kravitz said, committee people must deal with the offices of 5th District Councilmember Darrell Clarke and 2nd District Councilmember Anna Verna. “The process is cumbersome and should

be streamlined,” he said. “When you have a problem, it would be easier to pick up the phone and call one office rather than trying to navigate the bureaucracy of two offices.” Straddling two council districts also dilutes the ward’s clout, he added. “The Boy Scouts building is a perfect example,” Kravitz continued. “There’s strong opposition to selling that building to an organization that discriminates. But it’s hard for the 8th Ward to speak in a unified voice on the issue. Only half of the 8th Ward’s committee people represent divisions in the 5th District, where the building is located.” Kravitz added: “Fortunately, Councilman Clarke has been very helpful in not pushing through the sale. But on another issue with another council member, things might not turn out as well.” Stephen N. Huntginton, a board member of the Center City Residents Association, said to his knowledge, no member of City Council has replied to a recent letter from the group calling for the ward to be in one council district. “We just want to be in one bailiwick,” Huntington told PGN. ■

Shein explained that, currently, even if Mazzoni Center can waive fees for doctors’ visits for the uninsured, they cannot cover the costs of specialty care not offered at Mazzoni, such as x-rays, dental work or lab work. The FQHC status, however, would enable Mazzoni to enter into contracts with specialty providers that would allow the uninsured to access those services. The designation would also mean changes to Mazzoni’s own practice — with more physical space and employees. “Should we receive the status, we’ll defi-

nitely see an increased capacity in the number of clinicians and in our space,” Shein said, noting that Mazzoni is already in the process of adding six new exam rooms, and more space would likely be needed if the status is awarded. “Within the first several years of the FQHC status we’d know how big it’s going to be. But we will probably need to expand even more, and we would need more doctors and nurse practitioners.” The HRSA grant will fuel the yearlong planning process for the FQHC status application.

Beginning this month, Mazzoni will undertake an assessment of the healthcare needs of the entire Philadelphia region, as well as of the LGBT and low-income communities. The assessment will examine demographic issues such as socioeconomic, housing and health-insurance status, age range, ethnicity, languages spoken and health-care utilization patterns of its target populations. Additionally, the study will analyze perceptions of health-care from the clients themselves and area practitioners, and look at potential gaps in services. ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

from page 1

is pleased to announce our writers placed in two award categories for the

2010 National Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, out of some 2,700 U.S. publications. Our congratulations to:

Jen Colletta Second Place, Best Feature Story, Non-daily Division Kelly McGillis talks marriages, divorces and civil union Judge’s comments: “Excellent profile of Kelly McGillis. It can be difficult writing about a celebrity, difficult to get below the rehearsed answers. But this story feels like a real conversation and provides an intelligent look at a complicated life.”

Mark Segal Second Place, Best Serious Column, Non-daily Division Mosque issue is an LGBT issue Judge’s comments: “Terse argument that too few community newspapers offered — that Muslims had a right tobuild a cultural center and threatened no one.”

State Government Committee. A call to Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-12th Dist.), chair of the State Government Committee, was unreturned by press time. Neither a hearing nor a vote in that committee had been scheduled for the bill. Voicing support for the bill were Equality Pennsylvania executive director Ted Martin, Springfield Township Board of Commissioners president Jeffrey Harbison, Independence Business Alliance president Evan Urbania and National Association of Social Workers executive director Jenna Mehnert. In addition to the in-person testimony, statements were also entered into the record from the Anti-Defamation League’s local chapter, the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition, the Persad Center, Philadelphia Bar Association, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Pennsylvania NOW Inc., Liberty City Democratic Club, Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania — all of which were in support of the measure. In Martin’s testimony, he described how the Pennsylvania legislature has fallen behind myriad other states that have adopted such legislation, highlighting a recent Equality PA poll that found vast support for HB 300 among Pennsylvanians. Martin noted that the event was integral in educating lawmakers. “I travel all over Pennsylvania and talk to people about these issues and many people

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are often astounded and refuse to believe that this type of discrimination is permitted — they think it’s covered. And it’s important that we made that point also to the legislators,” he said. “We have to show them no, this is not covered, and here’s what happens because it’s not. That astounds people and offends people and that’s good. So it was good to really drive home that this law doesn’t exist and why it should and that they need to move this along.” Urbania noted that the response from the legislators was encouraging. “I think the hearing will keep momentum on this issue front and center,” he said. “The panel was really well-represented, and they had a lot of great questions, and we talked about some issues that I don’t think some of them had ever considered before. I’m not sure I believe we’re going to move far enough this cycle to get it approved, but the discussion has to continue and there was a lot of interest from the membership on the committee, which shows they’re taking this seriously.” Urbania focused his testimony on the benefits HB 300 could have for the state’s economy, citing the challenges Pennsylvania faces in attracting and retaining the best and most talented employees, with many of its neighboring states offering more inclusive employment policies. Mehnert detailed how the state’s lack of nondiscrimination protections for LGBTs has a trickle-down effect, fueling a “culture that fosters hate and leads to hostile climates” in schools and elsewhere, as the state is sending “the very clear message that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is OK.” In his remarks, Harbison detailed the yearlong effort that led up to last week’s approval of an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination policy in Springfield, the 22nd Pennsylvania municipality to ban LGBT discrimination in light of the lack of a statewide law. Harbison said reaction among residents was mixed, but that the vast majority of opponents weren’t against the concept of the bill but rather the local government’s involvement in what they say should be a state issue — a sentiment Harbison said was shared by the two lone dissenters on the commission. “Just as history has looked unkindly on those who opposed the rights of women and people of color, the march of time will not smile on those who fail to protect our LGBT friends,” Harbison testified. “We were elected to make the world better and fairer. In five, 10, 15 years people will not be able to fathom how anybody was opposed to LGBT issues. Why are we not in front on this issue? Springfield has met this challenge. I ask you today to do the same.” ■

PGN FEATURE

AC ul t ure

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rts

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Bulletin Board Family Portrait Out & About Q Puzzle Scene in Philly Worth Watching

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CHITA RIVERA Large photo: Laura Marie Duncan

Broadway superstar to span her career in concert By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Tony Award-winning Broadway diva icon Chita Rivera is taking her fans on a musical trip through her legendary stage career by singing and dancing her way through songs from her most celebrated musicals. A p t l y t i t l e d “ C h i t a R ive r a : M y Broadway,” the show highlights numbers from “West Side Story,” “Sweet Charity,” “Chicago,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Bye, Bye, Birdie” and “The Rink.” Given her extensive experience, it’s no surprise that Rivera has sung the immortal words of some of the great Broadway songwriters (most of them gay) of the last century, including Leonard Bernstein, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Charles Strouse, Stephen Sondheim and Cy Coleman. Rivera talked to PGN about her upcoming performances and her nearly 60-year career that has made her a national treasure. PGN: With all the shows you’ve been a

part of over the years, was it difficult to choose which songs to perform on this show? CR: Yes, sort of. But there are some obvious ones. I remember years and years and years ago — and I do mean years and years and years ago — Fred Ebb of Kander and Ebb was doing an act for me just before Chicago and wanted me to do “America.” And I went no, no, no. I don’t want to do “America.” I’ve done that and I don’t want anybody thinking: “Oh, look at what I’ve done.” He said, “Chita, you have to because that’s part of your identity.” So I learned a lesson then. So now I do “Spider Woman” and I do something from “The Rink.” So there are certain things that you have to do. PGN: Do you find that people in the audience are requesting songs that you weren’t planning on doing? CR: No. They don’t say, “Sing ‘Melancholy Baby.’” No, in clubs or in the theater, people don’t speak out like that. In saloons maybe I guess.

PGN: Which do you prefer more these days, cabaret-style performances or grander productions like “Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life?” CR: When you live long enough, you realize each one is a gift. Each one is totally different. If you’re lucky enough to have something really good and you’ve had a good time doing it, then it’s like saying which one of your five kids do you like best. So I can’t say. They’re just different. I love it when I do a theater show because that is the theater and it has a theme and a story and you have more people on stage. When you do cabaret, it’s challenging because you’re close to people and that’s good too because you’re much more personable. Each one has its great advantages. PGN: How did performing on television and film compare to performing on Broadway? CR: It’s not live. Television, when I did it years ago, was in front of a live audience. But most of them are not now. With films

you have no audience so you have no connection. PGN: Do you find it as fulfilling? CR: I find it interesting. It’s a time thing. It’s fulfilling after it’s over and you see it. But at the moment, it’s not. Well, personally it is because you try to do what satisfies you to make the whole piece good. PGN: Are there any songwriters or playwrights you enjoyed working with more than others? CR: Well, my answer to the other question goes pretty much the same way. Kander and Ebb are responsible for most of the hits I’ve been lucky enough to do and they’re very close friends. Most of them are. Jerry Herman, Cy Coleman and Leonard Bernstein are fantastic. Each one is perfect for whatever it is that they have created. I can say I am closer to Freddie and John ... well, not Freddie anymore because he has passed. But they have been my closer friends. But as far as scores, each one was perfect for what they do and I wouldn’t change it for a million bucks.

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PGN: When you worked with Kander and Ebb or Terrence McNally, writers who are icons on Broadway in their own right, is it easy to agree creatively or are there creative clashes? CR: Oh gosh no. I really don’t do that. Fortunately, they’re really geniuses and if you you’re lucky enough to work with really fabulous people, you just get better and they’re giving you better material. I don’t pretend to know more. They are so smart and clever and they know what they want so much that they can recognize if something isn’t comfortable or right for you. PGN: When you receive awards such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom and are honored by the Kennedy Center, is that more special to you than the Tony Awards and nominations? CR: Well, it sure is different and you don’t expect it. It’s an amazing thing. The family feels great about it. It’s an honor and it’s very humbling. It’s wild to be sitting with people that have contributed so much. So you feel pretty lucky. PGN: Do you see your influence on any of today’s actresses on Broadway or on TV or movies? CR: I don’t know. I have no idea. They would have to say that. In some way I have influenced something but I don’t look up on stage and say, “That looks like me.” PGN: A lot of the productions you have been a part of have gone on to become

Broadway classics. Do you feel like your talents were a big part of those successes? CR: Some of it I’ve contributed to yes. I think casting is most important. Yes, absolutely. Without a doubt I do and I say that with absolutely no ego. It’s a fact: Everybody in the show is responsible or part of the success of the show. PGN: When you first started out on Broadway, did you think that one day you were going to be internationally famous for your work? CR: No, not at all. I just wanted a job. I wanted to work and have a good time at whatever I did. And hoped it would be a hit. I only started dancing because I was breaking up the furniture and my mother put me in school. And I love to dance. PGN: What Broadway show were you most proud of being a part of? CR: “Spider Woman” and “West Side.” They all are, but they had particular subjects that were important to me. “Spider Woman” was about the differences between people and getting them to accept and live with them, or die in this particular case. That meant a lot to me. It was important that I do that around the country. ■ Bristol Riverside Theatre presents “Chita Rivera: My Broadway” Sept. 23-25, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol. For more information or tickets, call 215-785-0100.

PROFILE PGN

Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

Suzi Nash

Chris Ramos: Ex-military, photography lover For those of you who have uniform fantasies, this week we bring you an award-winning former servicemember, Chris Ramos. It’s hard to imagine the affable Ramos in the heat of battle as he casually jokes and recalls his overseas missions, but with 18 medals to his credit, including the 82nd Airborne Division Soldier of the Year award, he’s the real deal. PGN: Where are you from? CR: I grew up in Bethlehem, but I’ve been in Philadelphia since 1991. PGN: What was life like in the city of Bethlehem? CR: It was great. We were actually transplants from New York, so it was nice to move out to the country. I was about 8 when we moved, so I enjoyed playing outside in the fresh air. PGN: Any siblings? CR: Yes, I’m the youngest of five. PGN: What did the folks do? CR: My dad had two businesses: a restaurant and a Latin nightclub. My mother was a stay-at-home mom. PGN: Favorite class in school? CR: Cinema and photography. I love taking pictures. I studied nursing at community college and then joined the Army for three years. While there, I received the Soldier of the Year award, 82nd Airborne Division. I got out, then joined the Air Force Reserves and went back to college through the Air Force and got a degree in science and information technology. I just retired from the Reserves three years ago. PGN: Wow, so you put a lot of time in. What made you soldier of the year? CR: I was young and very proactive in the military. You have to do extracurricular things, so I was a member of the church choir and ran on the commander’s crosscountry team, I used to do marathons back then. You also have to learn military history. You come before a board and they evaluate your answers as well as how you present yourself. PGN: What was a favorite part of the history you studied? CR: I think the Civil War was an important part of our history that a lot of people don’t know enough about. It forged a good part of who we are as a nation. PGN: What was an interesting memory from the service? CR: The medics getting goofy with the medical equipment. I was in Kuwait right before the Iraqi War started. In fact, I was part of the first medical mission and, after that, I was on the first humanitarian mis-

sion. When we were working with kids, we’d do things like blowing up gloves and drawing happy faces on them. Silly stuff. PGN: What was your feeling about what was going on? CR: Initially, it was a nightmare for everyone, certainly for our troops. It was scary: Our government kept talking about “Weapons of Mass Destruction.” As a soldier stationed there, it was like, OK, am I going to die here from a WMD? It was a real fear. You just didn’t know what was going to happen. Then when the Iraqis were shooting scud missiles toward Kuwait, they were aiming for the tower at the international airport. Our military camps were all near the base of the tower so whenever there was an incoming missile, it went right over our heads and all the sirens went off. We’d all have to get up and go to a bunker. They would do it purposely in the middle of the night so that our sleep was interrupted. PGN: I didn’t even think of the sleepdeprivation aspect of being bombed. What else don’t we realize? CR: There were things that happened at the camps that are unfortunately often a part of wars. Rape and substance abuse, from the serious to the silly. On the serious side, we had a major who got caught putting holes in the walls of the women’s bathrooms and facilities and spying on the female soldiers. And on the sillier side, we had a soldier who was a streaker: He’d just run around the camp naked. We were supposed to be a dry base, no alcohol, no sex, but it was all there in the middle of the desert. PGN: Lara Logan, who is the chief correspondent for CBS, did some really good reports on the conditions there and said we have no idea how bad it can be. She was on the front lines with some soldiers who were saving moldy bread because they didn’t have enough to eat. CR: Yeah, even at the camps it was bad. For us, the food was being prepared by the Kuwaitis who, though they tried, didn’t know how to make American food and we couldn’t adjust to their food. I remember trying to eat mashed potatoes and they were disgusting. We just stopped eating unless we had friends from home send us packages with tuna or something. I lost over 17 pounds. PGN: What was a fond memory? CR: Mail call was always something we looked forward to. I had a friend who worked at the Pentagon and she once asked me what I missed most and I said, “Coffee! I miss Starbucks.” Later, I was in my tent and someone from the command center came in and said, “Sgt. Ramos, you

have to come get your mail.” I said, “OK, I’ll pick it up at mail call.” He said you’re going to have to borrow an SUV and come get it. My friend had gotten her friends at the Pentagon involved and they sent over all these crates of coffee and coffeemakers and coffee-related stuff. The SUV wasn’t big enough — I had to get a truck! I was the talk of the camp for some time. What was really great was that I had so much, I was able to put packages together and send it forward to the Marines and Army that were at the front. They had nothing. In my tent, there were 12 people. The limited space is divided evenly, but I was by the door and had more room than anyone. So I set up a coffee station and had a mini Starbucks going! Everybody stopped by and I gladly shared. PGN: Coming out? CR: That was easy, I was never really in. When I was 22, I sat my mother down and had a talk with her. I like to be prepared, so I had all sorts of information for her

some of them out and sure enough they were gay couples. I must have known instinctively. PGN: Were you open in the military? CR: Pretty much. I didn’t carry a banner, but never tried to make it seem like I was straight. At one point, when I was going on a mission, I left a picture of the guy I was dating and his contact info with my colonel. I said, “If anything happens to me, call him and let him know. If I come back alive, I want the picture back!” She put it in her desk and assured me she would call him. Fortunately, I got back unharmed and was able to retrieve the picture. Could she have turned me in? Yes, I handed her the evidence, but she didn’t and I respected that. I never had any issues with it. I worked with some stellar people. PGN: Changing gears, any hobbies? CR: I still love photography. I love shooting in black and white. I also love being at the beach. After being in a war, there’s something beautiful about the quiet of sitting by the water listening to the waves. PGN: Do you have a partner? CR: Yes, David. We’ve been together 16 years and had a big wedding ceremony five years ago. It was grand. We had 12 people in the bridal party. Our whole families were there from both sides. David’s brothers were groomsmen and our sisters gave us away. It was at the Merion Tribute House, which was fitting because it was built to commemorate the soldiers of WWI. It was beautiful. We plan to do it legally in New York next year. PGN: What does David do? CR: We both work for The Star Group, which is a marketing and advertising company.

and was able to answer any questions she had. I told her, I am who I am and it’s not something I hide, so if it’s an issue for you, here are people you can talk to. It wasn’t a problem. I grew up in a very liberal family and I remember when I was young, my parents had a lot of parties. Back then, gay couples used to socialize with heterosexual couples. There were a few of their friends that looking back I thought may have been couples. I had her bring out some old photos and pointed

Photo: Suzi Nash

PGN: And I understand you were a flight attendant at one

point? CR: I was! After retiring from the military, I did administration and worked as a flight attendant for US Airways.

PGN: Most annoying passenger? CR: What a lot of people don’t understand is that we have a lot of federal regulations we have to abide by. One of them is that we’re not allowed to PAGE 31

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

PGN

Gifts of loss, life and love This is a time of love and loss for me, to make the most of every moment with marked by two tragic events. The first was loved ones. the World Trade Center disaster of Sept. 11, We had our child in 2003, when a family 2001. For most of 2001, I worked on the crisis again underscored that lesson. The top floor of Two World Financial Center in day before our son was born, my father came home from the hospital New York City. Every morning, after a stem-cell transplant for around 8:45, I walked the paslymphoma, a type of blood sageway from the train station cancer. He’d said that thinkunder the World Trade Center to ing about the pending birth of my building next door. I started his first grandchild gave him a new position in the company’s strength. New Jersey office, however, on This year, shortly before the Sept. 10. At 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 9/11 anniversary, my father 11, when the first plane hit, I passed away after what may was pulling into a parking lot in have been complications from suburbia, not in a crowd of panthe pancreatic cancer he had icked commuters underneath the survived in 2008. I’ve been World Trade Center. awash in the usual gamut of Shortly thereafter, I asked Dana Rudolph emotions: grief over his passmy partner of eight years if she ing, relief that he is no longer wanted to start a family. I knew suffering and concern about the impact on her answer, for she had always wanted my mother and my son. But I have also children, but until then, my career had been reflecting on the gifts parents pass on been my priority. On Sept. 11, however, a to their children, which last even after they heightened sense of fleeting possibilities are gone. motivated me to carpe ovum. Yes, it gave It seems to me there are four key gifts: me pause, wanting to bring a child into a world where “detonate” is a reflexive verb. Practical knowledge: We teach our chilBut when we lose our faith in the future, dren how to talk, use the bathroom, read, the terrorists have already won. write, add and subtract. We may teach them I don’t want to overstate my experience to ride a bike, play an instrument, bake a versus those who were killed, injured or cake, start a campfire or drive a car — the knew those who were, either on 9/11 or in practical skills that, broadly speaking, they the military actions that followed. But the will most need to take care of themselves event made me realize how important it is

Mombian

and get along in the world. But they are of limited use without other gifts as well. A sense of values: We may not all have identical values, but we teach our children to know right from wrong as we perceive them. Most of us teach our children to share, be polite, play well with others and not to lie, cheat or steal — the guidelines that help them use their practical knowledge wisely. We teach them what love is and how to express it. We may also teach them precepts from our religion or codes of conduct handed down from our own parents — which brings us to the third gift. Heritage: Most of us identify, at least to some extent, with a certain culture, race, religion, national or geographic origin, or combinations thereof. LGBT parents may even pass on a dose of LGBT culture to our children, regardless of our children’s own sexual orientation or gender identity. Our heritage affects the practical knowledge we convey as well as our sense of values. I know how to make knishes — a potato-filled Jewish pastry — only because my father learned from his mother, and passed on the recipe to me. (I use the term “recipe” loosely, since my grandmother never wrote down a recipe in her life.) But even more than the food itself — and the fact that “low carb” was not in my ances-

tors’ vocabulary — my father showed me the importance of providing for one’s family, of taking the time to prepare things with care and then to enjoy them with each other. However we come by our heritage, it gives us a sense of belonging, rooting us in the past so that we have a strong base from which to grow into the future. Inspiration: The most ephemeral of the gifts, but the catalyst that helps our children make use of the others. Without inspiration, they would not want to take their first steps, even if we showed them how. They would not want to follow our sense of values if they did not see us do so to good effect. And they would not care about their heritage if we did not show them how it enriches our lives. Sometimes, too, we inspire them by showing them what they would not want to do. They learn from our mistakes as much as our successes. Those of us who have ever lost a parent, through natural causes, accident or deliberate act, feel a similar pain. But these tragedies also offer us an opportunity to reflect on what they have given us, and to hope that we are able, in some small way, to offer our own gifts to our children in turn. ■ Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (www.mombian.com), a blog and resource directory for LGBT parents.

Are you a community leader? Mark Mitchell, board president, Delaware Valley Legacy Fund Amber Hikes, co-founder, Stimulus Drew Becher, president, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Alison Lin, co-founder, HotPot! Zane Booker, founder and artistic director, Smoke, Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative Wayne Knaub, commissioner, Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League

These people made the grade and were covered in PGN’s “Professional Portraits” column by Suzi Nash. Every week, Suzi talks to people making a difference in Philadelphia. Has she talked to you yet?

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Worth Watching

TAKING FLIGHT: Gay flight attendants Ron Zeitz (left) and Bill Smith at among the globe-trotting competitors trying to win $1 million on the new season of “The Amazing Race,” which premieres 8 p.m. Sept. 25 on CBS. Photo: CBS/ Sonja Flemming

‘ROCK’ ON: “Saturday Night Live” kicks off its 37th season with host and “30 Rock” star Alec Baldwin and musical guest Radiohead. This will be Baldwin’s 16th time hosting the sketch-comedy program, a record. Catch all the laughs 11:30 p.m. Sept. 24 on NBC.

IN A JUICE BOX: Cameron (Eric Stonestreet, center) chooses the most inopportune time to start a juice fast, on the Emmy-winning juggernaut “Modern Family,” 9 p.m. Sept. 28 on ABC: Photo: ABC/Richard Foreman

BABY BLUES: Professional fashionista Rachel Zoe juggles her hectic career getting celebrities outfitted for their high-profile events and a baby bump on the new season of “The Rachel Zoe Project,” 10 p.m. Sept. 27 on Bravo. Photo: Bravo/Douglas Friedman

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Q Puzzle Is Plutonium Far From Uranus Across

1. It’s for Colette 5. Make an emotional discharge 9. Bone separator in the back 13. Italian wine region 14. Soprano Gluck 15. Initial stake 16. Hetero 19. Sticker on a rose 20. Voyeur’s confession 21. Country lodging 22. Do over 24. Erection, in slang 26. Rough stuff underground

27. Larry Kramer, to Yale 30. Get on your knees 31. Made amends (for) 33. Misses the mark 34. Homophobic example of 16Across 36. Govt. agent 38. “Will & Grace” or “Ellen” 39. Pinker, to meateaters 41. Chemist’s condiment 42. High arcing shot 45. It protects one of your balls 47. Activity before shooting off your gun 49. Use 46-Down 50. Unmixed, to a mixologist 53. Singer Reagon

54. A 16-Across like 34-Across, to a nuclear physicist? 57. Composer Edouard 58. Historic Stonewall event 59. “Damn it!” 60. Julia Morgan wings 61. Avoids family cooking, with “out” 62. Added stipulations

Down

1. Street in San Francisco 2. “Cherry Grove, Fire Island” author Newton 3. Worked hard 4. Queen topper 5. Tomlin or Cho 6. Of grades 1-12 7. They’re trained to

use paddles 8. Melonlike fruit 9. Women’s patriotic org. 10. Tops, to bottoms? 11. More testicular? 12. Where bitches hang out 17. “Jailhouse Rock” singer? 18. Creature in a “Star Wars” sequel 23. Walks with weariness 25. Latish lunch hour 28. Remove, as a nametag 29. Orchestral conductor Zubin 31. Synthetic fiber brand 32. Company that recorded “Over the Rainbow” 34. “So Long,

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

___” (“The Sound of Music”) 35. Jeremy Irons flick of 1997 36. React like a nervous Nelly 37. Like Harvey Milk to 1-Down 40. It keeps a fruit from being exposed 42. Prick up one’s ears 43. Being cheated at phone sex? 44. Bar companions 46. It can cut leaves of grass 48. Starbuck’s order 51. Opera queen’s delight 52. Brisk pace 55. Canon camera 56. Heteros, on PlanetOut? PAGE 35

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leave our posts as we’re boarding passengers. I was at the front door and there was a woman trying to board with her child. They were in separate seats and wanted me to help them board. I was trying to direct her to a flight attendant in the seating section but she wanted me to handle it there and then and would not take no for an answer. She held everything up as I explained four times that I couldn’t leave the door. Sometimes you just get those people who won’t listen. I felt bad for her, being frazzled and traveling with a 7-yearold, but there was nothing I could do.

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PGN: An award you’re proud of? CR: I’ve been awarded 18 medals, but the highest honor was the Air Medal because that comes directly from the president’s office. You can only be awarded it if you’ve flown a certain number of missions during combat along with other criteria. Like you have to have been in harm’s way, and we were always being shot at, so I definitely qualified. PGN: Tell me about it. CR: An example was when we secured the Baghdad International Airport. In the beginning, they would bring wounded soldiers from Baghdad into Kuwait on Black Hawks. Once we secured the airport we were able to fly medical supplies directly

into Baghdad and pick up wounded soldiers. I was on the first mission to collect the wounded. The pilots do what’s called a combat landing. They have flares going to deflect the shooting and it’s completely lights out. I looked out the window and you could see the bullets, the tracers, whizzing by. We wear a flack jacket in front and one on our backs in case a bullet comes through the plane. The preparation for landing is very scary: We have what’s called an ERO landing — which means engines running onload, where you don’t even turn the plane off, you just land, get the wounded and get out of there. One of the rules is that you never leave the plane. If you get off for any reason, and they come under fire and have to take off, they’re not waiting for you to get back on. There was smoke everywhere and for a moment I thought, this is it, I’m going to die. PGN: So did you do actual nursing on patients? CR: Oh yes, we took care of hundreds of patients in the air-evac settings. The thing I remember the most was how young they were, all shot up or blinded by shrapnel. If you think of any kind of wounded you could imagine in a war setting, we treated them on our planes. PGN: So how do you avoid the night-

mares and PTSD? CR: You don’t. I suffer from PTSD and see a therapist at the V.A. hospital. You learn how to deal with it, but it’s not something that ever goes away. The nightmares don’t happen as frequently, but in the beginning they’re certainly there. The key is seeking help. It’s going to happen, it’s part of war, so you need to be prepared. PGN: Are there things that trigger it for you? CR: Well, recently with all the 9/11 coverage, I found it really hard to watch the footage and not think about all the firefighters and emergency-response people and what they went through. It was the same as going into battle and I know they suffer from PTSD as well. There are some things that will trigger feelings for me, mostly sadness, like when they showed footage of the planes going into the buildings over and over again. Sometimes loud noises will do it, or other things will bring back memories. PGN: What’s a smell that makes you stop and reflect? CR: I love food, so when you go by a restaurant and they have the cooking smells coming out of the vent. I love that. My partner teases me because I have every cooking gadget you can imagine but I

never use them. I used to cook every day, but now it’s only once in a while. PGN: Something that made you laugh until your belly ached? CR: There’s a little app on iPhone that lets you record yourself. My partner sings Frank Sinatra very well, but anything else, forget about it. But he likes to record himself and when he plays them it cracks me up. PGN: Something people don’t know about you? CR: My brother died of AIDS in 1996. It was difficult because, unlike me who told the world, he was very closeted. No one in the family knew that he was gay except for me. He was originally going to be a priest and then joined the Navy. He later moved to San Diego and lived there for 13 years. It was hard because I had to give them a double whammy, first to tell them that he’d died of AIDS and then explain that he’d been gay. He found out that he had AIDS in January of ’96 and was gone by June. It was crazy. But we got through it. With the AIDS Walk coming up in October, I hope people will participate in honor of those lost to the disease. ■ To suggest a community member for “Family Portrait,” write to portraits05@aol.com.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

Small plates deliver big flavors at Isabella

Food & Drink

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Tucked away in a corner space that normally would house a neighborhood watering hole, Isabella, 382 E. Elm St., Conshohocken, is a classy yet comfortable eatery specializing in Mediterranean-inspired tapas and pizzas. And, while bigger and more complex fare are available, the real fun is in sharing a number of small dishes instead of investing in just one big plate, especially considering the $3.50 small plates during happy hour (5-7 p.m. weekdays). Isabella and head chef Michael Cappon are best when they deliver clean and composed plates with bold and sometimes-unexpected flavors. The scallops ($11) were expertly seared and resting on top of a watermelon ceviche, making the dish supremely refreshing. The same could be said of the grilled Spanish octopus ($12) with marinated fennel and lemoncello vinaigrette. Bring an army of Tic-Tacs with you if you try the camarones ($11), jumbo shrimp steamed and accompanied with enough garlic butter to kill an army of vampires once you’re done dipping the shrimp. Damage to your breath aside, they were tasty. Our inner carnivore was doing backflips over the chuletas de cordero ($12), petite lamb chops dusted with black pepper and served with fig and sherry reduction. Give us a pile of these chops and a football game and we’re done for Sunday. The best of the small plates was the foie gras ($9), pan-seared on a chorizo chip in a fig reduction. The richness of the foie gras is tempered well by the

If you go Isabella

382 E. Elm St., Conshohocken 484-532-7470 www.barisabella. com Open for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner daily. Dinner Served Nightly / Sunday Brunch / Outdoor Cafe 757 SOUTH FRONT STREET CORNER OF FITZWATER IN QUEEN VILLAGE 215.551.2200 - www.thevillagebelle.com Photo: Scott A. Drake

spice of the chorizo and the sweetness of the fig. Another dish we couldn’t get enough of was the spinach ricotta gnocchi ($7), which were fluffy and lightly bathed in brown butter and Parmigiana. Isabella also serves up tasty salads. The Spanish Caesar was a brighter take on the traditional version, thanks to the presence of piquillo peppers and a generous portion of white anchovies. The La Isabella ($7) was a pleasantly complex convergence of flavors and textures with valdeon cheese, figs and almonds tossed with mixed greens. Isabella does a bang-up job on its pizzas, which are thin, crispy and run the gamut between traditional Italian flavors such as the Margherita ($12) and earthier Mediterranean flavors

“Buy one appetizer/salad, get one free”

like bacon and heirloom tomato ($14). We only had enough room left in our gullets to share one of the big plates and, while many of the small plates set the bar high, the red snapper ($20) had decent mojo. The snapper was cooked perfectly and well spiced atop a bed of spinach. But the three-ring circus of the small plates dominated. Things picked up considerably for dessert. The espresso crème brûlée was delightful, delivering just enough of a coffee-laden kick to offset the sugary coma the dish threatened to bring on. Isabella has a comfortable atmosphere and a well thought-out menu. You’ll get the best dining experience there by going small and going often. ■

THE ABBAYE EXCELLENT BELGIAN AND MICROBREW SELECTIONS

HAPPY HOUR Mon.-Fri. 4-6 pm $2 off all Drafts $5 glass of wine $2 select daily $3 Well Drinks domestic bottle New Happy Menu - Nothing over $5 DAILY LUNCH SPECIAL Mon-Fri. 11:30 -2:30pm $2 off all Sandwiches $1 off all Entrees (Eat-in Only) BRUNCH - Sat. & Sun. 10 am-3 pm QUIZZO - Every Thursday 10 pm KARAOKE - Every Sunday 10 pm

637 NORTH THIRD STREET PHILADELPHIA TEL: 215.627.6711 FAX: 215.627.6167 WWW.THEABBAYE.NET

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

OUT & ABOUT The week ahead Fri. 09/23 Holler! The open-mic night starts 7 p.m. at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; 215-923-2960. Enrique Iglesias The Latin/pop superstar performs 8 p.m. at Mark G. Etess Arena, 1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-449-5150. Opeth The progressive-rock band performs 7 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-9226888. Peek-A-Boo Revue Philadelphia’s

neo-burlesque troupe performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400.

Sat. 09/24 LGBT Families of SEPA Picnic LGBT families come together for peer support, networking and to build and establish friendships, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Gilda’s Club, 200 Kirk Road, Warminster; 267222-8651. Sinbad The comedian performs 8 p.m. at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave.; 215-5727650.

The 2011 Philly Zombie Prom The dead rise and dance 8 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-9226888. Karen Akers The singer performs 8:30 p.m. at Bob Egan’s New Hope, Ramada Inn, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; 215-8625225. Deadmau5 The techno artist performs 10 p.m. at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way; 609-317-1000.

Sun. 09/25 Murder By Death The eclectic rock band performs 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Mon. 09/26 Monday Jazz Jam at World Cafe Live 5:30-7 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Groove Night Local musicians join forces to bring the R&B, soul, jazz and funk, 7 p.m. at World Cafe Live at the Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.; 215-222-1400.

Tue. 09/27 Rachael Sage & Ember Swift The singer-songwriters perform 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400. Bridesmaids The comedy is screened 8 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888.

ORIGINAL GLAM-STER: Rock singer Michael Monroe (formerly of Hanoi Rocks) and his androgynous glam-rock style have inﬂuenced many stars and bands who became wildly famous in the 1980s, ranging from Guns N’ Roses to Motley Crüe. You can catch the singer when he performs 9 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St. For more information, call 215-922-6888. Photo: Ville Akseli Juurikkala

Wed. 09/28 Tapes and Tapes The indie-rock group performs 8 p.m. at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215-222-1400.

Thu. 09/29 New Hope Celebrates TALENT Night Cabaret artists perform 7:30 p.m. at Bob Egan’s New Hope, Ramada Inn, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope;

215-862-5225. k.d. lang and The Siss Boom Bang The out country singer performs 8 p.m. at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215790-5847. Bob & Barbara’s Drag Show The outrageousness begins 11 p.m. at Bob & Barbara’s, 1509 South St.; 215545-4511.

Fri. 09/30 “So You Think You Can Dance” Dancers from the hit TV show perform 7 p.m. at Mark G. Etess Arena, 1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-4495150. George Thorogood and The Destroyers The blues/rock band performs 8 p.m. at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave.; 215-5727650.

Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks The glam-rock singer performs 9 p.m. at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215922-6888. Sugar Town: A Night of Lady Rockers & DJs Death Rattle, Nervous Breakdowns and The Nectarines perform 9 p.m. at Tritone Bar, 1508 South St.; 215-5450475.

John Oates (of Hall and Oates)

Oct. 4th, 8pm General $45, VIP $55

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Upcoming Shows:

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The New Hope Winery 6123 Lower York Road (Rt.202) New Hope, PA 18938

215 794 2331

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A MAN OR A MOUSE?: Electro DJ superstar Deadmau5 is set to shake the house when he performs 10 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way. Sorry, kids, this is a 21-and-over show. For more information or tickets, visit www.deadmau5.com or call 609-317-1000.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PGN LISTINGS

Opening Why Do Good Girls Like Bad Boyz The gospel musical runs Sept. 27-Oct. 2 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; 215790-5800. Chicago Media Theater presents the popular musical set in the prohibition era Sept. 28-Nov. 6, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100. August: Osage County Arden Theatre Company presents the Tony Award-winning comedy Sept. 29-Oct. 30 at F. Otto Hass Stage, 40 N. Second St.; 215-922-1122. Carmen The Opera Company of Philadelphia performs the classic Sept. 30-Oct. 14 at

installation on the experiences of trans prisoners, through November, 2027 Fairmount Ave.; 215-236-5111.

Here and Now: Prints, Drawings, and Photographs by 10 Philadelphia Artists Philadelphia Museum of Art presents the exhibition through Dec. 4, 26th Street and

Continuing Aspects of Love Walnut Street Theatre presents the romantic musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, through Oct. 23, 825 Walnut St.; 215-5743550. Beware the Lily Law Eastern State Penitentiary hosts a video SOLUTION, from page 31

the Parkway; 215-763-8100. Men Unwrapped An exhibition of photographer Joe Bowman’s work is on display through Oct. 28 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St.; 215732-2220. RAW TRUST Gallery hosts the internationally touring LGBT fine-art photography installation produced in Provincetown, Mass., through Oct. 4, 249 Arch St.; 215-5928400. Riding the Comet Actors’ Net presents the World War II drama through Oct. 2 at The Heritage Center, 635 N. Delmorr Ave., Morrisville; 215-295-3694.

Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: 215-925-6437; or e-mail: listings@epgn.com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.

RAW TALENTS: TRUST Gallery hosts RAW, an internationally touring installation of LGBT ﬁne art and photography produced in Provincetown, Mass., through Oct. 4, 249 Arch St. For more information, visit www.rawﬁneart. com or call 215592-8400.

Blowing on a Hairy Shoulder/Grief Hunters The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania presents an exhibition of works by 20 artists from Israel, Greece, Germany, Belgium, Britain and America that examines the relationships between originality and origin with video, photography, drawing and sculpture through Dec. 4, 118 S. 36th St.; 215898-7108.

GOING OUT WITH A ‘BANG’: Out country singer k.d. lang injects more alternative energy into country music with her band The Siss Boom Bang, conjuring up elements of jazz and punk-ish attitude into the time-worn genre. See the results live when they perform 8 p.m. Sept. 29 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St. For more information, visit www. kdlang.com/sissboombang or call 215-790-5847.

Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

Transmutation and Metamorphosis Michener Art Museum presents an exhibition of collages by Ann Irwin through Oct. 16, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215-340-9800.

Closing The Big Bang The comedic 80-minute survey of history, through Sept. 30 at Kimmel’s Innovation Studio, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-893-1999.

Chita Rivera: My Broadway Bristol Riverside Theatre presents the Tony Award-winning singer and actress performing songs from her Broadway career Sept. 23-25, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol; 215-7850100. Tailoring Philadelphia: Tradition and Innovation in Menswear Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition focusing on Philadelphia’s tailoring industry, featuring clothing designed by Francis Toscani (1915-73), through Sept. 25, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100. ■

PGN

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

■ The Attic Youth Center: For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-8 p.m. MondayFriday; case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday-Friday. See the Youth section for more events. 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331 ■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St.; 215-898-5044; center@dolphin.upenn.edu, Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday.

and Allies Youth Center: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Doylestown Planned Parenthood, The Atrium, Suite 2E, 301 S. Main St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981; rainbowroom@ppbucks.org

■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center: 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220; www.waygay.org. Hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday Library hours: 12-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 12-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday; 126 p.m. Saturday. Volunteers: New Orientation: First Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

■ Rainbow Room — Bucks County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning

■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377

Key numbers

■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext. 221

■ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK

■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851

■ Mayor’s Director of LGBT Affairs: Gloria Casarez, 215-6862194; Gloria.Casarez@phila.gov; Fax: 215-686-2555

■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 1800-662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 ■ The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 112 N. Broad St., third floor; 215-496-0330 ■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org ■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378

■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org. Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBTLAW; legalservices@mazzonicenter. org ■ Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658 ■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833

Health

AIDS Services In Asian Communities Provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 340 N. 12th St., Suite 205; 215-629-2300. www.asiac.org Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; 12-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St. 215851-1822 or 866-222-3871. www.galaei.org. Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215-685-1803. HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing

■ Greater Philadelphia Professional Network Networking group for area business professionals, self-employed and business owners meets monthly in a different location throughout the city, invites speakers on various topics, partners with other nonprofits and maintains a Web site where everyone is invited to sign up for e-mail notices for activities and events.; www.gppn.org.

■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Stephen Johnson: 215-683-2840 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 267-216-6606; ppd. lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)

■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: 215-686-4670

Anonymous, free, conﬁdential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 3439 N. Hutchinson St..; 215-763-8870 ext. 6000.

■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia GALLOP holds board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; GALLOP also provides a free referral service; (215) 6279090; www.galloplaw.org.

■ Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force: 215-772-2000

available by appointment at 13 S. MacDade Blvd., Suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Ofﬁce Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610-5869077.

Mazzoni Center Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 21 S. 12th St., eighth ﬂoor; 215-563-0652. www.mazzonicenter.org. Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine Comprehensive primary health care, preventive health services, gynecology, sexual-health services and chronic-disease management, including comprehensive HIV care; 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658. Washington West Project Free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday except for 12-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.

Professional groups ■ Independence Business Alliance Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development, marketing, educational and advocacy opportunities for LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses and professionals. Visit www.IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com for information about events, programs and membership; (215) 557-0190; 1717 Arch St., Suite 3370. ■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association The Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals

and students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgjaphiladephia.org. ■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus A regional organization dedicated to promoting gay and lesbian tourism to the Greater Philadelphia Region, holds meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; P.O. Box 58143, Philadelphia, PA 19102; www.philadelphiagaytourism.com. ■ Philly OutGoing Professionals Social group for gay, lesbian and bisexual professionals meets for social and cultural activities; (856) 857-9283; popnews19@yahoo. com.

Activism/Politics

ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) meets 6-9 p.m. every Monday at St. Luke and The Epiphany Church, 330 S. 13th St.; 215386-1981; www.actupphilly.org. Delaware Valley Chapter, Americans United for Separation of Church and State seeks activists and supporters of church-state separation. Holds monthly meetings and events; www.dvau.org. Equality Philadelphia holds a volunteer night the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m., 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 605; 215-731-1447; www.equalitypa.org. Green Party of Philadelphia holds general meetings the fourth Thursday of the month except December, 7 p.m.; 215-243-7103; www. gpop.org. Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club meets seasonally; www. libertycity.org.

Arts Library Book Club meets to discuss a new book 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at the William Way Center. Open-mic night and amateur poetry, music and storytelling event sponsored by the Pride Center of New Jersey meets 8 p.m. every third Friday at Stage Stars, 13 S. 3rd Ave., Highland Park; 732-718-0134. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus rehearses 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays; 215-731-9230; auditions@pgmc.org. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Opera Club meets to share and listen to recordings 6:30 p.m. the last Saturday of the month; 215-732-7898. Philadelphia Voices of Pride, Philadelphia’s first mixed GLBT chorus, rehearses 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the William Way Center; www.pvop.org. Queer Writer’s Collective workshop and discussion group meets 4-6 p.m. the fourth Saturday of the month at the William Way Center. Reading Queerly, a group open to all women and genderqueer/trans people, meets 6:45 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.

Recreation

Diversity Dancers ballroom dancers meet the first Sunday of the month for tea and lessons. Other events scheduled throughout the year; 215-922-2129; DiversityDancers@aol.com. Gay Bridge Club non-beginners group meets Monday afternoons at the William Way Center; reservations required. Call Ellis at 215732-2220. Gay-friendly Scrabble Club meets 6-11 p.m. in the P.I.C. Building, 42nd and Locust streets; 215-382-0789. Gay Opera Guys of Philly, a new group for opera appreciation, meets the last Sunday of the month at 2:30 p.m. in Roxborough/Andorra area; 215-483-1032. Humboldt Society: Lesbian and Gay Naturalists meets the second Thursday of the month at the William Way Center; 215-985-1456; www.humboldtsociety.org. Independence Squares LGBT square-dance club, modern Western square dancing. Monthly open house. Tuesday classes in the fall; Lutheran Church, 2111 Sansom St.; philadances@gmail.com; www. independencesquares.org. Male Oenophile Group forming to discuss, appreciate and taste various wines. Will meet once a month to investigate the nuances and glories of the fermented grape. Call 267-230-6750 for more information. Mornings OUT LGBT Senior Social activities for senior gay men are held every Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the William Way Center. PhilaVentures, Philadelphia’s LGBT outdoor group, meets for a hike in Wissahickon Valley Park on Sundays at 2 p.m. at 8701 Germantown Ave.; to RSVP, e-mail the hike leader at ABK121@hotmail.com. Rainbow Bridge Group congenial group meets for supper and to play bridge monthly on a Monday at 6:30 p.m. Members rotate as host. New players welcome. For information, call Gerry at 215-592-1174.

Sports

Brandywine Women’s Rugby Club meets for Tuesday and Thursday practice at Greene Field, Howell Street and Moore Road, West Chester; www.brandywinerugby.org. City of Brotherly Love Softball League serves the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Games are played Sundays, beginning in April, in Fairmount Park; 215-462-2575; www.cblsl.org. Frontrunners running club meets 9:30 a.m. Saturdays for a run and brunch. Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row; www.philadelphiafrontrunners.org. Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club GLBT and allied; practices Mondays and Thursdays at Cruz Recreation Center (Fifth and Jefferson streets), 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 10:30 a.m., at Edgeley Fields in Fairmount Park; www.falcons-soccer.org. Philadelphia Fins Swim Team, male and female swimmers meets 7 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays at Friends Select School or Kelly Pool in Fairmount Park; 610-564-6661; www.philadelphia-fins.org. Philadelphia Gay Bowling League meets 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays September-April at Brunswick Zone, 1328 Delsea Drive, Deptford, N.J.; 856-889-1434; www.philagaybowling.com. Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League seeks players; games played Saturdays, 10 a.m., at Columbus Square Park, 12th and Wharton streets; phillyflagfootball.com. Philadelphia Gryphons Rugby Football Club seeks players, all skill levels welcome; meets 6 p.m. Tuesdays at Columbus Field,12th and Wharton streets, and 7 p.m. Thursdays at George Pepper Middle School, 2901 S. 84th St.; 215-913-7531; phillygryphons.org; info@phillygryphons.org. Philadelphia Liberty Belles women’s semi-pro full-tackle football league holds fall tryouts; phillybelles.com. Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association plays year-round, all skill levels welcome; philadelphialibertytennis.com. Philadelphia Firebirds women’s football team seeks players; www. philadelphiafirebirds.com. Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League seeks players, all skill levels and ages welcome. Practice is Thursdays, 7:30-9:30p.m., at Marian Anderson Recreation Center, 17th and Fitzwater streets, with games on Sundays; phillywomensbaseball.com; contact Narda Quigley, (day) 215-991-5995 or (evening) 301-919-1194.

Philly Gay Hockey Association Philadelphia Phury seeks players; 917-656-1936; phury@gayhockey.org. Philly QCycle LGBT bicycling club promotes organized recreational riding for all levels in the Greater Philadelphia region. Contact the organization via Facebook. Rainbow Riders of the Delaware Valley motorcycle club meets regularly; 215-836-0440; www.groups.yahoo.com/group/rainbowridersdv/. Rainbow Rollers gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays at Boulevard Lanes in Northeast Philadelphia; rainbowrollers.com. South Jersey Gay Bowling League gay and lesbian bowling league meets 7 p.m. Fridays September-April at Laurel Lanes, 2825 Rte. 73 South, Maple Shade; 856-778-7467. Spartan Wrestling Club, the gay wresting team, meets 7-9 p.m. Mondays, 6:30-9 p.m. Mondays and 9:30 a.m.-noon Saturdays at the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-732-4545; www.phillyspartans.com. Suburban Gay Bowling League bowls at 8 p.m. Tuesdays from August-April at Facenda-Whitaker Lanes, 2912 Swede Road, Norristown; sgblbowl@gmail.com. Team Philadelphia, the umbrella group under which the various gay and lesbian sports teams and individual athletes in the Delaware Valley come together to provide a healthy outlet for all members of the community; teamphiladelphia.org.

Etc.

AIDS Law Project provides free legal assistance to people with HIV/AIDS and sponsors free monthly seminars on work and housing; 1211 Chestnut St., Suite 600; 215-587-9377; www. aidslawpa.org. Bisexual Social Support Group open to all bisexual, bi-curious and bi-friendly people, meets 7:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at the Pride Center of New Jersey. BiUnity, Philadelphia-area social and support network for bisexuals, their family members and friends, meets the second Friday of every other month at the William Way Center; www.biunity.org. Delaware Valley Pink Pistols for LGBT people dedicated to legal, safe and responsible use of firearms for self-defense; meets 2 p.m. the third Saturday of the month at Classic Indoor Range, 1310 Industrial Blvd., Southhampton; 610-879-2364; www. pinkpistols.org. Delaware Pride holds planning meetings 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at the United Church of Christ, 300 Main St., Newark; 302-265-3020; delawarepride.org. Haverford College’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance holds open meetings 10-11 p.m. Mondays during the school year in the lounge in Jones Basement at Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave.; 610-896-4938. Long Yang Club Philadelphia social organization for gay Asians and their friends holds monthly socials; www.longyangclub. org/philadelphia. Our Night Out, a casual social networking party of LGBT professionals, allied communities, friends and colleagues, meets in a different Philadelphia hot spot each month. To receive monthly event invitations, send e-mail to OurNightOutPhilly@gmail.com; more information on Facebook. Philadelphia Bar Association Legal Advice offered 5-8 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month; 215-238-6333. Philadelphia Prime Timers Club for mature gay and bisexual men and their admirers meets regularly; primetimersofphiladelph ia@yahoo.com Philadelphians MC Club for leather men and women meets 7:30 p.m. first and third Monday of the month at The Pit at The Bike Stop, 201 S. Quince St.; philadelphiansmc.org. Rainbow Amateur Radio Association ARRL affiliated, private, weekly HF nets, monthly newsletter, e-mail server; 302-539-2392; www.rara.org. Rock ’n’ Roll Queer Bar Party for gay and lesbian rockers with host Psydde Delicious starts 10 p.m. every first Sunday at Fluid, 613 S. Fourth St.; www.RocknRollQueerBar.com. Silver Foxes social and educational group for gays and lesbians 50 and older meets 3-5 p.m. fourth Sunday of the month at the William Way Center.

Health

Alder Health Services provides LGBT health services on a sliding-fee scale; 100 N. Cameron St., Ste. 301 East, Harrisburg; 717-233-7190 or 800-867-1550; www.alderhealth.org. Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing with Spanish/English counselors 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 3439 N. Hutchinson St.; 215-763-8870 ext. 6000. AIDS Services In Asian Communities provides HIV-related services to Asians and Pacific Islanders at 340 N. 12th St., Suite 205; 215-536-2424. www.asiac.org. Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative provides free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; and noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St.; 215-851-1822 or 866222-3871; www.galaei.org. Spanish/English. HIV treatment: Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents available 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215685-1803. HIV health insurance help: Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing available at 17 MacDade Blvd., Suite 108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610-586-9077. Mazzoni Center: Free, anonymous HIV testing; HIV/AIDS care and treatment, case management and support groups; 21 S. 12th St.; 215-563-0652; www.mazzonicenter.org. Philadelphia FIGHT provides HIV primary care, on-site lab services, clinical trials, case management, mental-health services and support groups for people living with HIV regardless of insurance status or ability to pay; 1233 Locust St., fifth floor; 215-985-4448; www.fight.org. Washington West Project offers free, anonymous HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday except for noon1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m., and 1-5 p.m. Saturday; 1201 Locust St.;

REALPGN ESTATE

Classifieds PGN does not accept advertising that is unlawful, false, misleading, harmful, threatening, abusive, invasive of another’s privacy, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful or racially or otherwise objectionable, including without limitation material of any kind or nature that encourages conduct that could constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, provincial, national or international law or regulation, or encourage the use of controlled PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS substances. All real-estate advertising is subject to Title VIII �� of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended.� Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and ﬁnancing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children �� under the age of 18), and handicap (disability). PGN will not knowingly �� accept any real-estate advertising that is in violation of any applicable law. ��

�

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

Home of the Week ��

Featured property:

Snowden Residences 1812 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA $395,000 Fabulous new condo conversions in the heart of Rittenhouse Square. Magniﬁcent ceiling and molding details. Deeded parking available. Low fees and taxes.

PAGE 47

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Realtor: Karen Chin

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Company: Coldwell Banker Preferred

Fax: (215) 558-1020

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REAL ESTATE

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Open Houses Sunday Sept. 25, 2011 NOON – 2:30 PM 1812 Spruce St. “Snowden Residence Condo” Brand new condo conversion in the Heart of Rittenhouse Square. Unit #2R Grand Scale 1 bd. 1.5 baths w/ office area. Magnificent ceiling molding details, Marble spa like bath. Huge South facing walk-out Terrace. Deluxe Gourmet Kitchen. Deeded covered parking available. Low fees and taxes. ..........................................................................................$450,000 1833 -A Christian St. Brand new 2 bedroom, 2 bath two level townhouse. Open concept floor plan. Deluxe kitchen, S/S, Quartz counter tops. Hardwood floors. Large rear garden. Glass tiles Spa-like master bath. Large family room in lower level. Tax abatement. .....................................................priced at only $274,900 1812 Spruce St. 3F .Large Bi-level townhouse style condo. Over 2,200 Square feet on two levels. 3 large bedrooms & 3 Marble baths. Deluxe Kitchen, S/S, walnut cabinets, Quartz counters. Wood floors. Deeded parking available. Low taxes & fees...................................................Pre-construction price $775,000 1109 Spruce St. Unit 1F. Charming 1 bedroom, 1 bath, totally rehab. Condo in Washington Square West. Granite and S/S kitchen, wood floors, high ceilings. Low condo fees an taxes. 1812 Spruce St. Unit #3R. Best value 2 bedroom, 1 bath in Rittenhouse Square. Fabulous new condo conversion 1 block off Rittenhouse Square. Marble bath, deluxe kitchen, huge walk-out terrace. A/C. Large attic area. Low fees and taxes. .........................................................................................................$395,000 1812 Spruce St. Unit 2F. Very large condo in Rittenhouse Square, 1 bed, 1 bath. High ceilings with great architectural details. Deluxe gourmet kitchen. Marble bath. Wood floors. Low fees and taxes. Deeded parking available. ........$425,000

Search all Philadelphia area listings @ www.thephillyrealtors.com Dan Tobey

The Curtis Center 1401 Walnut St. 8th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102

215.546.2700 Business • 267.238.1061 Direct 215.432.7151 Cell • 215.546.7728 Fax dtobey@cbpref.com • www.cbpref.com

REAL ESTATE

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REAL ESTATE

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

REAL ESTATE

SALE

PGN

REAL ESTATE

SALE

ROOMMATES

PRIVATE CONTEMPORARY LAKE FRONT HOME 314 N. West Ave. Wenonah NJ • $369,900

PGN WILL NOT PUBLISH RACIAL DISTINCTIONS IN ROOMMATE ADS. SUCH NOTATIONS WILL BE EDITED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. ___________________________________ GREATER NE PHILA. Have your own bedroom in a beautiful split level home with 2 gay men. House is 4 BR, 2 full baths, W/D, upper and lower decks, use of kitchen. Property is by Welsh & the Boulevard, 1 min. to 58 bus. We ask only that you be at least reasonably neat and employed. Rent is $600 + 1/3 utils. Contact Dave at 215-698-0215. _______________________________35-49 COLLEGEVILLE, PA Private room, full house privileges. 2 males looking for 3rd to share 3200 sq ft. house in nice neighborhod. Great new interior and beautifully landscaped exterior. Pvt. back yard patio. $650 rent, utils incl. antho092@aol.com _______________________________35-41

SERVICES

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ADOPTION

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MASSAGE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

CERTIFIED

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B-7

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Sept. 23-29, 2011

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